Sudan has reported its first confirmed case of monkeypox, according to the country’s health ministry.
The Federal Ministry of Health said in a statement on Sunday that the first case was discovered in a 16-year-old student in West Darfur state and confirmed by the National Laboratory for Public Health (STAC) in Khartoum.
“There were 38 suspected instances in the country, but all of them were negative except in Western Darfur,” said Montaser Mohamed Osman, Director of the Federal Ministry of Health’s Infectious Disease Outbreak Department.
He stated that West Darfur health officials, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, are actively examining the situation.
Monkeypox outbreaks were detected in over 70 nations, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to proclaim the pandemic a global health emergency.
According to WHO figures, the virus has infected over 16,000 people in 75 countries since May.
Monkeypox is caused by a virus that causes symptoms similar to smallpox but less severe, such as fever, rash, and enlarged lymph nodes.
Physical contact with an infected animal can result in transmission. Rodents and primates are examples of animal hosts.
The World Health Organization recommends avoiding unprotected contact with wild animals, especially those that are sick or deceased. Any items including animal flesh or parts should be fully cooked before consuming in endemic countries where animals spread monkeypox.
Furthermore, the sickness can be passed from person to person.
