A 21-day-old infant has tested positive for monkeypox near the Kenyan border, according to the Minister of Health, who confirmed Ethiopia’s first recorded case in a statement today.
The child and his mother, residents of Moyale, have been placed in quarantine and are stable condition, according to the statement.
Efforts are being made to trace the source of the infectious disease.
Experts at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute suspect the virus was picked up by the child’s father on his recent travels abroad. Health officials say they are working to reach other individuals who may have been exposed.
Mpox is most commonly found in central and west Africa, and this marks its first appearance in Ethiopia.
Symptoms of Mpox infection include rash, coughing, fever, headaches, fatigue, and back pain. Health officials urge anyone experiencing symptoms to seek medical assistance immediately.
