Sierra Leone declares public health emergency over mpox

Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency on Monday after the country reported its second case of mpox in less than four days, health authorities said. Neither patients were known to have been in contact with infected animals or other sick individuals, authorities said, adding that both individuals were receiving treatment at a hospital in the capital Freetown.

The WHO declared mpox, a global health emergency in August 2024, because of the rapid spread of the new strain of the virus. The new strain circulating this time has raised concerns because it is believed to transmit more easily than other strains and evidence suggests that it causes a more severe version of the disease.