Zambia reports fourth monkeypox case

Lusaka, Jan 4 Zambia's health authorities have reported the country's fourth case of monkeypox, also known as mpox.

The case involves a one-year-old boy who possibly contracted the virus through close contact with a known case, said Minister of Health Elijah Muchima.

"The child is under home isolation, receiving medical care, and in stable condition," he told reporters during a press briefing.

Last month, the health authorities reported two cases from the Kitwe city in the Copperbelt province, Xinhua news agency reported.

In October 2024, Zambia reported the first mpox case involving a Tanzanian national who came for a visit.

In August, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), sounding the alarm over its potential for further international transmission.

The ongoing global outbreak of clade II mpox has caused more than 100,000 cases in 122 total countries, including 115 countries where mpox was not previously reported.

Mpox is an infectious disease that can lead to symptoms such as a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and fatigue. While most people recover completely, some may experience severe illness.

Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family.

This family also includes variola, cowpox, vaccinia, and other viruses. The virus exists in two main clades: clade I (with subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (with subclades IIa and IIb).

Mpox primarily spreads from person to person through close contact with an infected individual, including within households.

Close contact can involve skin-to-skin interactions (such as touching or sexual activity), as well as mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact.

It can also spread through face-to-face interactions, where breathing or talking close to one another may generate infectious respiratory particles.

Source: IANS