By Kemo Cham
Health authorities in Guinea have confirmed the first case of the Monkeypox virus in the country.
The National Health Security Agency (ANSS) confirmed the case on Monday, September 2, three days after it was detected. It said the patient is from the rural commune of Koyamah, in the prefecture of Macenta in the Forest Region, where the 2014-2015 West African Ebola epidemic is believed to have originated from.
According to the agency, the victim is a 7-year-old girl. She reported in a health facility on August 30th, and a sample of hers was sent to a virology research center in the prefecture of Guéckédou, where Monkeypox was confirmed as responsible.
Until this case, Guinea had a total of nine suspected cases of the viral disease also known as Mpox, as of As of August 26, according to official data.
The detection of the first case in Guinea leaves Sierra Leone as the only country in the Mano River Union that hasn’t recorded a case yet.
The disease has been declared a public health emergency by both the Africa CDC and the World Health organization.
Sierra Leone’s health authorities have assured of robust surveillance system in place as part of the country’s prepared to either prevent the entry of the virus into the country or, if it enters, to detect and put it under control.
