Mpox Confirmed in Zimbabwe: Two Cases Reported as of October 2024

Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care has confirmed two cases of Mpox, one in Harare and another in Mberengwa, according to an official statement released on 13 October 2024.

Both cases are currently in isolation at home and are receiving appropriate care. Health officials have assured the public that both individuals are in stable condition and recovering.

Case Number 1 involves an 11-year-old boy from Harare. The child had recently travelled to South Africa in August 2024 and returned to Zimbabwe on 10 September 2024. He developed symptoms on 23 September 2024 and was subsequently isolated at home. He is no longer infectious. So far, seven close contacts have been identified and are under monitoring.
Case Number 2 is a 24-year-old man from Mberengwa who had recently travelled to Tanzania. He returned to Zimbabwe on 21 September 2024 and began showing symptoms on 29 September 2024. He is also in isolation at home and has been declared non-infectious. Contact tracing for his case is ongoing.

Mpox, formerly Monkeypox, was declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) on 13 August 2024, following a concerning increase in cases across the continent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) on 14 August 2024. As of 6 October 2024, As of 6 October, there had been 7535 confirmed cases, including 32 deaths reported in Africa.

Zimbabwe has now joined the list of African nations affected by Mpox.