Guinea Reports First Mpox Case

Guinea has confirmed its first case of mpox, the West African nation's health ministry announced on Wednesday, without providing further details.

Health Minister Mamadou Péthé Diallo called an emergency meeting with ministry partners on Tuesday following the detection of the country's first mpox case, according to an official statement.

During the meeting, the National Health Security Agency outlined its preparedness and response plan, which included a proposed budget.

An official from the ministry, speaking anonymously, confirmed to AFP that the case was identified in the sub-prefecture of Koyama, near the Liberian border.

The resurgence of mpox and the detection of a new strain, Clade 1b, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare its highest international alert level on August 14.

Cases of mpox are increasing across the region, with outbreaks reported in the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. The virus has also been detected in Asia and Europe.

The African Union’s health agency announced that nearly 100,000 doses of mpox vaccines would be delivered to the DRC on Thursday. Since the beginning of the year, the WHO has recorded over 17,500 cases and 629 deaths in the country.

Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is a viral disease that is transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals but can also spread through close human-to-human contact. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and large, boil-like skin lesions.