JUBA, South Sudan – South Sudan has confirmed its first case of mpox after a 31-year-old Ugandan national tested positive for the virus, Acting Health Minister James Hoth Mai announced on Friday.
The patient, a resident of Kupuri Camp in Luri Payam, Juba, developed symptoms including fever, rash, and body itching on January 22. Samples tested at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) on February 6 confirmed the infection.
Minister Mai stated that the patient had recently traveled to Uganda, which has been battling an mpox outbreak since 2024.
“The Ministry of Health would like to notify the general public about the declaration of an outbreak of mpox in South Sudan,” Mai told reporters in Juba.
Authorities are now monitoring the situation closely and urging the public to remain vigilant.
