Total Mpox cases run to 79

Ghana has recorded 34 new cases of Mpox, pushing the total number of confirmed infections to 79, according to health authorities.

Officials from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) report that four patients are currently in admission and under close observation. In response, contact tracing efforts have intensified in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.

The recent surge in cases has sparked concern among the public. However, health authorities have moved to allay fears, assuring citizens that the situation remains under control and that there is no cause for alarm.

In the wake of the outbreak, the GHS urges the public to adopt preventive measures, including maintaining good personal hygiene, avoiding close contact with individuals exhibiting symptoms, especially those with unexplained rashes, and seeking prompt medical attention if symptoms appear.

About Mpox

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is a disease caused by infection with a virus, known as Monkeypox virus. This virus is part of the same family as the virus that causes smallpox. People with mpox often get a rash, along with other symptoms. The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing. Mpox is not related to chickenpox.

Mpox is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be spread between animals and people. It is endemic, or found regularly, in parts of Central and West Africa. The virus that causes mpox has been found in small rodents, monkeys, and other mammals that live in these areas.

Discovery and history

The virus that causes mpox was discovered in 1958, when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research. Despite being named “monkeypox” originally, the source of the disease remains unknown. Scientists suspect African rodents and non-human primates (like monkeys) might harbor the virus and infect people.

The first human case of mpox was recorded in 1970, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2022, mpox spread around the world. Before that, cases of mpox in other places were rare and usually linked to travel or to animals being imported from regions where mpox is endemic.

The World Health Organization renamed the disease in 2022 to follow modern guidelines for naming illnesses. Those guidelines recommend that disease names should avoid offending cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups and minimize unnecessary negative effects on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare.