Gambia: Alert after mpox case detected

The Gambia has declared an alert following the detection of an mpox case, according to a government announcement. The Ministry of Health in Banjul confirmed the detection of the case through the epidemiological surveillance system.

Contact tracing and sequencing of the virus's genome have begun to determine the subtype. Mpox, caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox, manifests with fever, muscle pain, and rashes.

The virus was first identified in the DRC in 1970 and remained endemic in Central African countries. In 2022, 'clade' 2 spread worldwide. In 2024, the WHO declared the highest level of alert for the epidemic.

Outbreaks are also being recorded in other West African countries, such as Liberia and Guinea.