A young boy from the Western North Region has been confirmed as Ghana’s first Mpox case in 2024.Â
The boy, who exhibited symptoms such as a rash, fever, and body pains, has since been discharged from the hospital.
Health officials are currently monitoring 25 individuals who were in contact with the boy.
Additionally, 230 suspected Mpox cases are being investigated across the country.
Since January 2024, over 34,297 Mpox cases and 860 deaths have been reported in Africa.
The virus has two main subtypes: clade 1, prevalent in the Congo Basin and more deadly, and clade 2, common in West Africa and less severe.
Mpox has been declared a public health emergency in Africa as countries like Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Ivory Coast also battle the virus.
Ghana previously recorded 8 cases in 2023 and 120 in 2022. The virus spreads through close contact and presents with fever, body aches, and rashes.
