Sudan reported its first confirmed Monkeypox case, the country’s health ministry said.
In a statement on Sunday, the Federal Ministry of Health said that the first case was detected in a 16-year student in West Darfur state and confirmed by the 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.
Over 70 countries reported outbreaks of monkeypox, triggering the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the epidemic a global health emergency.
The virus has affected over 16,000 people in 75 countries since May, according to WHO statistics.
Monkeypox is a virus that causes disease with similar but less severe symptoms to smallpox, including fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
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.