Gabon Records First Mpox Case Amid Regional Outbreak Concerns

Gabon has reported its first mpox case amid an ongoing outbreak in Africa, highlighting concerns about the virus's spread, especially the clade Ib variant's speed of transmission. The World Health Organization has classified mpox as a global public health emergency due to this situation. The first case in Gabon involves a 30-year-old man returning from Uganda.

Gabon has registered its first case of mpox, the health ministry announced in a recent statement, which did not disclose the specific variant of the viral infection detected.

The World Health Organization has labeled mpox a global public health emergency following an outbreak originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has since spread to neighboring nations. The emergence of a new virus form, clade Ib, has escalated concerns over its rapid transmission.

The Gabonese health ministry revealed that the first confirmed case was a 30-year-old man who tested positive after returning from Uganda. The man developed a fever and skin lesions characteristic of the disease.

(With inputs from agencies.)