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*Zimbabwe Records Two Mpox Cases*

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Zimbabwe has reported two cases of the Mpox virus, one in Harare and another in Mberengwa, with both individuals currently in home isolation.

Announcing the development on Sunday, 13 October, the Minister of Health and Childcare Douglas Mombeshora reassured the public that the situation is under control.

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He said the first case involves an 11-year-old boy who travelled to South Africa in August 2024, returning to Zimbabwe on 10 September 2024. The boy developed symptoms on 23 September 2024.

The second case is a 24-year-old male who travelled to Tanzania and developed symptoms on September 29, 2024.

Mombeshora said both individuals are no longer infectious, and contact tracing is ongoing. Below is Mombeshora’s announcement in full:

> The Ministry of Health and Child Care wishes to inform the nation that Zimbabwe now has two (2) confirmed cases of Mpox: one in Harare and another in Mberengwa. Both cases are in isolation at home and are receiving appropriate care. Both cases are stable and recovering.

> Mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox) was declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) on the 13th of August 2024.

> It was then declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 14th of August 2024. In Africa, there are 7535 confirmed cumulative cases of Mpox and 32 deaths reported so far in 2024.

> Here in Zimbabwe, Case number 1 is an 11-year-old male child with a known history of having travelled to South Africa in August 2024, returning to Zimbabwe on the 10th of September 2024.

> He developed symptoms on the 23 of September 2024. He is currently in isolation at home and is no longer infectious. Seven (7) contacts have since been identified and are being monitored.

> Case number 2 is a 24-year-old male with a known history of having travelled to Tanzania on the 14th of September 2024 and came back on the 21 of September 2024. He developed symptoms on the 29th of September 2024. He is currently in isolation at home and is no longer infectious. Contact tracing and monitoring are underway.

> Mpox is a rare viral infection caused by an Mpox virus that is endemic in Central and West Africa. It spreads through close contact with people, animals or through materials infected with the virus. Signs and symptoms of Mpox include:

Fever
Rash (that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, or other parts of the body, especially hands, feet and chest)
Headache
Muscle aches and backache
Swollen lymph nodes
Chills
Exhaustion
Respiratory symptoms (sore throat, nasal congestion or cough)

> The incubation period is usually 3 to 21 days and is typically slow developing over 2-4 weeks. The disease is normally self-limiting but can be severe in individuals with compromised immunity and other co-morbidities.

> This means that the condition resolves on its own between three (3) to Four (4) weeks during which time health interventions take the form of supportive treatment including antibiotics and painkillers as required.

> The disease can be prevented through:

Avoiding contact with individuals showing symptoms.
Avoiding sharing clothes, bedding and other personal items with persons showing symptoms.
Isolating persons showing symptoms from others who could be at risk of infection.
Practising good personal hygiene including frequent hand washing with soap under running water, or through the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers regularly.
Avoid sexual contact with persons showing symptoms.
Using personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for infected persons.

> The Ministry of Health and Child Care wishes to reassure the public that the situation is under control and urges the Zimbabwean public not to panic. Any persons with symptoms are urged to report to the nearest health facility as soon as possible.

> Equally, the public is also promptly urged to report suspected cases to the nearest health facility. The health and safety of our communities remains our top priority.

> For more information, please contact Provincial Medical Directors, City Health Directors and the Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control HQ. The Ministry has also placed all its structures on high alert, including at all ports of entry.

> Preparedness and Response activities.

> 1. The M-pox preparedness and response plan is now in place and has been shared widely.

> 2. Activation of the National and subnational Incident Management Systems has been done.

> 3. Training of healthcare workers on Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) is ongoing.

> 4. Conducting awareness campaigns in the provinces to ensure that the community is well informed on M-pox.

> 5. Information Education and Communication (IEC) material has been developed and is being distributed.

> 6. Enhanced surveillance at all the Ports of Entry including monitoring of travellers coming into the country.

> 7. Enhanced community-based surveillance systems are in place.

> 8. Identification and establishment of isolation centres throughout the country is underway.

> 9. The Ministry will continue to update the nation through regular press briefings as the situation evolves.

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