5 cases of monkey pox recorded in Ghana, health authorities on high alert – GHS

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed the first monkeypox virus infections in Ghana.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on June 8, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, disclosed that five people have so far contracted the monkeypox disease in Ghana.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said that the five cases were contracted in the Eastern, Western and Greater Accra regions. No death has however been recorded and none of the patients is in a critical condition.

According to him, the five infections recorded were part of a total of 12 suspected cases that have been investigated since May 24, 2022.

He further stated that one of the cases was recorded in a Ghanaian who had recently travelled to the United States of America.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye urged Ghanaians not to panic even though there was no treatment for the disease. He further added that there is a vaccine for the virus which is not currently in Ghana.

“But I don’t think we have reached a stage where we will call for vaccination in Ghana,” he added.

Also, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said that monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It is endemic in Nigeria and Cameroon and is transmitted from an infected animal (squirrels, rats, dormice, monkeys etc) or from infected humans, he said.

On the mode of transmission among humans, he said the virus can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, face-to-face contact, mouth-to-skin contact as well as touching bedding, towels, clothing or objects used by an infected person.