Ghana reports first mpox case but variant not yet clear

Ghana reports first mpox case but variant not yet clear

Ghana's health service has reported the country's first case of mpox this year, without disclosing which variant had been recorded, according to a statement.

A health official told Reuters that testing was underway to determine whether it was the clade Ib form of the mpox virus that has triggered global concern, as it appears to be spreading quickly and little is known about the strain.

Ghana previously recorded cases of mpox in 2022 and 2023.

The statement described the patient as a young male, with a fever, rash and body pains. It said 25 contacts have been identified and are being monitored.

The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August, following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries.

Two strains of mpox are spreading - the clade I variant, which is endemic in parts of West and Central Africa, and the new clade Ib, which spreads more easily through close contact, including sexual.