A Tanzanian citizen has been diagnosed with Mpox in Zambia. The Ministry of Health in Tanzania confirmed the case today, stating that the individual, a 32-year-old male, crossed the border from Tunduma, Tanzania, to Nakonde, Zambia, on September 2, 2024.
While the patient showed no signs or symptoms of Mpox at the time of crossing, he later sought medical attention at a Zambian clinic on October 2, 2024. Laboratory tests conducted in Zambia on samples taken on October 4th and 8th confirmed the diagnosis of Mpox.
The patient remains under treatment in Zambia, at a health facility in the Central Province.
Zambia’s Health Minister, Elijah Muchima, announced Thursday the country’s first-recorded case of Mpox, without disclosing which variant had been recorded.
“Given the patient’s extensive travel history and interaction at multiple points in Zambia, there is a heightened risk of local transmission and potential cross-border spread. Following the confirmation of his test results, the Ministry of Health, through the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI), has heightened surveillance and is conducting contact tracing,” Muchima told reporters in the national capital of Lusaka.
He urged the public to avoid close contact, practice good hygiene, and seek early medical attention to curb the spread of the disease.
“Allow me to assure the public that our health workers and all public health facilities are equipped to handle suspected mpox cases, with enhanced infection prevention and control measures in place,” he added.
The Ministry of Health in Tanzania says it is closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures to prevent the spread of Mpox within the country.
“We want to assure the public that we are taking all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease within our borders. We are in close contact with Zambian health authorities and are monitoring the situation closely. While no case of Mpox has been detected in Tanzania, we urge all Tanzanians to be vigilant and to follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.”
Rhoida Andusamile, Head of Government Communications Unit at the Ministry of Health
In August, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, as a new variant of the viral infection spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring African countries.
Reports show that since the beginning of Mpox monitoring in 2022 and up to 31 July 2024, over 100 000 confirmed cases of Mpox due to MPXV clade I and clade II, including over 200 deaths, were reported by more than 120 countries globally, according to WHO (2022-24 Mpox (Monkeypox) Outbreak: Global Trends
This latest case in Zambia highlights the ongoing global threat posed by the virus, particularly the new clade 1b strain, which is known to spread more easily through routine close contact.
Mpox is usually mild, with most people recovering within a few weeks. However, the severity can vary, with Clade I, found mostly in Central Africa, tending to be more severe than Clade II. Immunosuppressed individuals, such as those with HIV/AIDS, are more vulnerable to severe disease.
Note: Mpox is a less severe version of smallpox. It's caused by a virus and can be spread from animals to humans. There's no specific cure, so treatment focuses on making the symptoms better and stopping complications. Some medicines used for smallpox might help, but they're not officially approved for Mpox.
