Sudan has reported its first case of the monkeypox virus, detected in West Darfur state, said the Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health said on Sunday.
Over 70 countries reported outbreaks of monkeypox triggering the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the epidemic a global health emergency. However, only two African countries reported positive cases: South Africa and Morocco.
In a statement on Sunday, the Sudanese federal ministry of health said that the first case was detected in a 16-year student in West Darfur state and confirmed by the their National Laboratory for Public Health (STAC) in Khartoum.
“There were 38 suspected cases in the country, but all of them were negative except in Western Darfur,” said Montaser Mohamed Osman, Director of the Infectious Disease Outbreak Department at the Federal Ministry of Health.
West Darfur health authorities together with the Federal Ministry of Health are actively investigating the case, he added.
The first case of human monkeypox was identified in a 9-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.
Transmission can occur through physical contact with an infected animal. Animal hosts include rodents and primates.
The WHO advises avoiding unprotected contact with wild animals, especially those that are sick or dead. In endemic countries where animals carry monkeypox, any foods containing animal meat or parts should be cooked thoroughly before eating.
Also, the disease can spread from person to person.
“Monkeypox spreads from person to person through close contact with someone who has a monkeypox rash, including through face-to-face, skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact, including sexual contact,” said WHO.
Health experts say the monkeypox virus is not very dangerous and people recover within two or three weeks. However, patients can die under certain conditions.
The disease causes mild symptoms including fever, ache and pus-filled skin lesions.
