Liberia: Monkeypox Case Reported in Sinoe.

The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) has confirmed one case of the Monkeypox virus in Sinoe County in Southeast Liberia.

NPHIL Director General Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan told a news conference in Congo Town about the case in Sinoe on Monday, September 2, 2024.

The confirmation of the monkeypox is reported in Liberia barely two weeks after an international declaration of the virus.

The case involving a little girl is being reported after Liberia suspected a few cases, across three counties before the World Health Organization (WHO) blew the trumpet of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus a health situation of international concern.

WHO declared Mpox a threat to the World. Dr. Nyan told the news conference that Mpox has far been detected in Liberia since the 1970s before its recent outbreak across Africa, especially in Congo and Nigeria, among others.

As it stands, Dr. Nyan indicated that NPHIL’s Incident Management Team has conducted six tests of the suspected cases. Out of the six, he reported that one was confirmed positive in the southeastern region.

Dr. Nyan stressed that NPHIL’s concern is to increase its surveillance with neighboring countries such as Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Sierra Leone to calm down the outbreak.

“Our concern now is how we can increase our surveillance and, as health practitioners, tackle this virus,” he said.

The NPHIL boss indicated that the agency has set up its surveillance team and went to the Free Port of Monrovia, and the Roberts International Airport (RIA).

He disclosed plans to visit other border points throughout the country to ensure that NPHIL takes control of it.

Dr. Nyan spoke of Liberia’s experience during the Ebola virus outbreak, during which Liberians lost their lives due to the lack of proper knowledge and education about the virus.

Unlike the previous case, NPHIL’s Incident Management System is working to create clarity and provide the information the public needs.

Further, the NPHIL boss noted that the agency has built surveillance systems throughout the country to tackle the spread of the virus.

He urged the public to remain calm, saying the case in Sinoe County did not travel out of Liberia.

“And the team is managing it well, and [we] are trying to get vaccine and testing kits through the WHO, West African Health Organization (WAHO), USAID, and other partners,” Dr. Nyan continued.

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