Ghana has reported its first confirmed case of Mpox in 2024, health authorities announced on Thursday, as the virus continues to spread across Africa.
The patient, a young boy from the Western North Region, around 475 kilometres from the capital Accra, showed symptoms including a rash, fever, and body aches, according to Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, director-general of the Ghana Health Service (GHS). The child has since been discharged and is in stable condition. Officials are monitoring 25 individuals who were in contact with him.
The GHS also revealed that around 230 suspected cases are under investigation in the country. Since January, Africa has seen over 34,000 cases and 860 deaths from the virus, with Ghana being the latest nation to report cases.
While Ghana did not specify which clade of the virus was detected, Mpox has two subtypes, with the less severe clade 2 common in West Africa. The country previously recorded eight cases in 2023 and 120 in 2022. Public health emergency systems have been activated to investigate further cases, though officials assured there is no cause for alarm.