Test tubes labelled "Monkeypox virus positive and negative" are seen in this illustration taken May 23, 2022. |Courtesy of Reuters.

The Ministry of Health has said it is monitoring about 21 people comprising workmates and neighbors who came into contact with the confirmed Mpox case recorded in Juba on February 6.

South Sudan confirmed its first case and declared an outbreak on Friday – months after the contagious disease was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The index case is a 31-year-old Ugandan national working for a local company in Juba. He is said to have been in his home country for a month before he returned and started exhibiting symptoms.

The Director General for Preventive Health Services and Emergency Response Dr. Kediende Chong said 16 of the contacts were his workmates and 5 others were his neighbors.

He said, the first case is still being managed at Gudele Hospital and the contacts are being monitored closely by the experts.

“We have enlisted the contacts and those contacts are being monitored. There are 21 contacts, 16 workmates and five neighbors,” he said.

Dr. Chong said specialized doctors are monitoring and examining the contacts to understand any other possible contacts that might have not been in the list.

“We actually monitor them through our surveillance team. They are actually being contacted every now and then to check whether they are developed any symptoms. They will be monitored for at least 36 days as we know, it’s a long incubation period for the disease.”

“If they show symptoms, they will be now treated as suspects and they will be tested. Until now, we still have this single case, which is the index case for South Sudan. A Ugandan national is working here with one of the companies.”

Dr. Chong stated that the surveillance system remains active at entry points, including Juba International Airport.

He urged the public not to panic, but rather take necessary precautionary measures, and report immediately to the nearest health facility anyone exhibiting symptoms of the disease.

“We are asking our public to also remain calm, as we said during the first day. There is no reason to panic. We only have one case until now. Our surveillance system is in place.”

He encourages the public to cooperate with the ministry and report anyone suffering from symptoms similar to mpox to the nearest health facility or call the free toll center 6666.

Mpox is an infectious disease that can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle ache, back pain and low energy.

It is said to spread from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has mpox, including members of a household.