MONROVIA – The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), through its Director-General Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, has confirmed a second case of Mpox in Liberia. In a press release issued on Saturday, September 7, 2024, Dr. Nyan disclosed that the new case, located in Lofa County, brings the total number of confirmed Mpox cases in the country to two. This follows the declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on August 14, 2024.
The second confirmed case involves a two-year-old male who exhibited symptoms including fever, rash, and other clinical signs consistent with the Monkeypox virus. Four contacts associated with this case have been identified and traced. The patient is currently in isolation and receiving home-based care. The first confirmed Mpox case was reported in Sinoe County shortly after the ACDC and WHO announcement.
With the increasing number of cases and the evolving epidemiological situation, NPHIL has now declared the Mpox situation in Liberia an outbreak. In response, the agency has activated the National Incident Management System (IMS) to oversee and coordinate the country’s preparedness and outbreak response efforts in collaboration with international partners, the Ministry of Health, and local communities.
NPHIL is intensifying public awareness and preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus. County health and surveillance officers, working with NPHIL and the Ministry of Health, have heightened their efforts as more suspected Mpox cases emerge across Liberia.
In light of the outbreak, NPHIL urges the public to strictly adhere to health and sanitation guidelines to prevent person-to-person and community transmission of the virus.
