Zimbabwe Reports Two Confirmed Cases of Mpox
Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, the Minister of Health and Child Care, announced on Friday that the country has identified two cases of Mpox, formerly known as Monkeypox.
Both individuals are currently in isolation and are receiving the necessary medical attention.
In a press conference, Dr. Mombeshora detailed that one case is situated in Harare and the other in Mberengwa.
“We would like to inform the public that Zimbabwe has two confirmed Mpox cases,” he stated, noting that both patients are stable and on the road to recovery.
The first case involves an 11-year-old boy who traveled to South Africa in August 2024 and returned to Zimbabwe on September 10.
He began exhibiting symptoms on September 23 and is now isolating at home, where he is no longer contagious. Health authorities have identified seven contacts who are being monitored for symptoms.
The second case is a 24-year-old man who visited Tanzania from September 14 to 21. He showed symptoms starting September 29 and is also isolating at home, no longer posing an infectious risk. Contact tracing efforts are ongoing.
Dr. Mombeshora reassured the public that the situation is manageable and urged people to remain calm. “The Ministry is actively overseeing the situation and is ready to take necessary actions,” he emphasized.
Mpox was declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) on August 13, 2024, and was subsequently classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on August 14, 2024. To date, Africa has reported 7,535 confirmed Mpox cases and 32 fatalities in 2024.
The Ministry continues to stress the importance of public health measures to limit the spread of the virus.
