Ethiopia on alert after first mpox case confirmed
The Ethiopian Ministry of Health has announced that it is rolling out coordinated health monitoring and inspection efforts to prevent a potential outbreak of mpox.
On Sunday, the East African country reported its first mpox case when a 21-day-old infant tested positive for the virus in the Moyale town near the Kenyan border, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
At a news briefing on Wednesday, Minister of Health Mekdes Daba said subsequent testing had confirmed both of the child's parents were also infected with the virus, bringing the total number of cases to three.
The minister said that coordinated contact tracing activities are currently underway, with dedicated rapid response teams deployed across various regions.
She said mpox screening and testing have begun at all entry and exit checkpoints, including the country's border-crossing points and major international gateways.
The Ethiopian government has also identified areas that are considered vulnerable, Daba said.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials. The infection often causes fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
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