Zambia Reports Its First Case of Monkeypox

Zambia’s Ministry of Health announced on Thursday the registration of the country’s first case of monkeypox but did not disclose the specific strain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had declared in August that monkeypox was a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, after a new strain of the virus spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring African countries.

The new sub-variant “1b” has raised global concern as it appears to spread more easily through close contact.

Zambia’s first case of monkeypox was detected in a 32-year-old Tanzanian man who arrived in Zambia in early September. He traveled around the southern African country and began showing symptoms such as muscle pain, fatigue, and a sore throat on October 2nd.

The patient is currently receiving treatment at a rural health center. Monkeypox typically causes flu-like symptoms accompanied by a blistering rash. It is generally not serious, but in some cases, it can lead to death.