Zambia has recorded its first case of Mpox disease from a 32-year-old Tanzanian national in Chitambo district, Central Province.

The patient was initially attended to at Mukondo Health Post on 4th October 2024, after presenting complaints of muscle aches, fatigue, and sore throat.

Minister of Health, Dr. Elijah Muchima, provided an update on the issue, noting that the patient’s symptoms were followed by a rash that started on the face and spread to other parts of the body.

Investigations indicate that the patient had traveled from Tanzania to Nakonde Border Post on 2nd September 2024, then proceeded to Mukambo Border, where he stayed until 23rd September before returning to Central Province in October.

Following tests of samples sent to the Zambia National Public Health Reference Laboratory on 5th October 2024, the individual tested positive for Mpox.

Dr. Muchima cautioned that given the patient’s extensive travel history and interactions at multiple points in Zambia, there is a heightened risk of local transmission and potential cross-border spread, necessitating heightened surveillance.

Mpox is a viral disease transmitted from person to person through close contact with sores on the body, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding, clothing, or articles the infected person has handled.

Formerly called Monkeypox, Mpox can result in severe illness, especially among vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, and individuals with weak immune systems.

The World Health Organization declared the Mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 14th August 2024, under the International Health Regulations of 2005.