Sierra Leone has reported its first confirmed case of mpox, the viral disease that prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency last year. The patient, a 27-year-old man from a rural district in the Western Zone near the capital Freetown, is currently in isolation.
The National Public Health Agency confirmed the case on January 10 and announced that health teams are tracing contacts and investigating to identify potential exposures and prevent further transmission. The agency did not specify the variant of the virus affecting the patient.
Mpox, a disease related to smallpox, causes symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, and skin lesions. It was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970 and remained largely confined to a limited number of African nations. However, in 2022, the disease spread internationally, reaching Europe and Asia for the first time. In 2024, the WHO issued its highest alert level for the virus.
In response to the confirmed case, Sierra Leone has activated a swift public health response. The patient’s contacts will be monitored for 21 days, and health authorities have intensified surveillance in areas he visited. Public awareness campaigns are underway, and health workers are receiving protective equipment and training in infection control.
The nation’s prompt response reflects lessons learned from the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, which claimed nearly 4,000 lives in Sierra Leone. Authorities are determined to prevent a repeat of that crisis and ensure the containment of mpox.