Guinea-Bissau faces first mpox outbreak: UNICEF
Guinea-Bissau is facing its first outbreak of mpox, UN children's agency UNICEF said Thursday, voicing concern that half of suspected cases were affecting children and that the country is ill-prepared.
Guinea-Bissau is experiencing its first reported outbreak of mpox, according to UNICEF. Sandra Martins, UNICEF's deputy representative in the country, expressed concern that half of the suspected cases were affecting children and that the nation's surveillance system is inadequate, potentially leading to undetected transmission, especially among vulnerable children.
As of August 17, seven confirmed cases have been reported, all among adults, with no deaths. However, out of 46 suspected cases, 23 involve children under 15. The reopening of schools next month could facilitate the spread of the disease. Though the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared Africa free of a public health emergency related to mpox in January, the virus remains endemic in several regions.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
