Mpox patient presenting rash symptoms - Courtesy

South Sudan’s Ministry of Health reported on Monday that it has so far confirmed six Mpox cases – in an indication of a rising outbreak after the first index incident was announced two week ago.

The first index case which prompted declaration of the outbreak was confirmed on February 7, in a 31-year-old man, a Ugandan national who works with a company in Juba.

Dr. Harriet Pasquale, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, said the cases have sharply risen to 6 with no fatality so far.

Dr. Akello said all the cases including the new ones were from Juba. She didn’t specify the age groups involves in the recent cases and when they were confirmed.

According to her, the Ministry is intensifying fight to curb the outbreak which poses the country in public health emergency amid Cholera outbreak which claimed nearly 500 lives so far.

“As of now, we have a total of six confirmed cases which are undergoing treatment, but we don’t have any case of death. But all of these cases are in Juba,” she said.

“Health workers are being trained to be able to manage, identify and manage these cases. And as part of this, on Friday, I was in Nimule to inaugurate an isolation facility to improve our screening and treatment facility.”

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.

South Sudan has been on high alert since August 2024 when the new strain was recorded among some of its neighbors including Kenya, Uganda, DRC, and Central Africa Republic.