Monkey pox breaks out in South Sudan – acting health minister declares

JUBA – South Sudan declared an Mpox outbreak in its capital, Juba, on Friday, after a traveler returning from neighboring Uganda tested positive for the virus, the acting health minister said.

James Hoth Mai, South Sudan’s labor minister and acting health minister, announced the outbreak after the country’s Public Health Laboratory confirmed the case on Thursday.

“The Ministry of Health would like to notify the general public about the declaration of an outbreak of mpox in South Sudan,” Mai told a press conference in Juba on Friday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Mpox often presents with a skin rash and may include other symptoms such as fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes. Symptoms typically appear within 21 days of exposure.

The patient, Mai said, is a 31-year-old Ugandan man residing in Kupuri, on the outskirts of Juba. He had recently returned from Uganda, which has also declared an Mpox outbreak.

The patient is currently isolated and receiving treatment at Gudele Hospital in Juba, Mai said.

“The confirmed case is under isolation and is being managed at Gudele Hospital. A team of experts from national and subnational levels, along with WHO and other partners, has been mobilized to conduct a detailed field investigation, identify all contacts, and ensure close follow-up,” he stated.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral zoonotic disease primarily transmitted from animals, such as wild rodents, to humans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO also notes that human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with skin lesions, infected bodily fluids, or indirect contact with contaminated materials such as bedding.

Humphrey Karamagi, the WHO representative in South Sudan, said the UN agency is ready to support the country in fighting the disease.

“Notably since WHO globally and regionally declared MPOX as a public health emergency of international concern, within the country office we have been working very closely with the government, with the Ministry of Health to build the capacity for active surveillance and ability to respond to this condition. I can confirm that the country right now has been following the necessary protocols,” he said.

Mai said the confirmed strain is Clade 1, the same strain driving Mpox outbreaks in the East African region.

He called on the public to remain calm and avoid panic, encouraging anyone showing signs and symptoms to report them to health authorities immediately through the toll-free line 6666.