MONROVIA, October 13, 2024 – The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) has confirmed the circulation of the Monkeypox virus Clade-IIa in Liberia, following molecular genetic sequencing results. In addition, NPHIL announced the detection and confirmation of three new Mpox cases in the country.
These new cases bring the total number of confirmed Mpox cases in Liberia to 11 since the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental and International Concern in mid-August 2024.
Since January 1, 2024, Liberia has recorded a total of 17 confirmed Mpox cases. Of these, 12 individuals have recovered, no deaths have been reported, and five cases remain active as of October 13, 2024.
The confirmation of Monkeypox virus Clade-IIa in Liberia was established through genomic sequencing performed by both the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Nigeria Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), using samples provided by NPHIL. This effort was supported by NIH-PREVAIL-Liberia and the WHO Liberia Country Office.
Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director General of NPHIL, emphasized the significance of the findings: “Knowledge of the Mpox Clade-IIa circulating in Liberia provides important scientific insights into the genomic epidemiology of the Monkeypox virus. This information will guide NPHIL’s decisions on vaccines, diagnostics, and how we address the transmission of the virus, whether from animals to humans or person-to-person.”
NPHIL continues to manage multiple ongoing outbreaks in Liberia, including Lassa fever, measles, and rubella, while the National Incident Management System (IMS) mobilizes resources to coordinate the country’s response to the Mpox outbreak, alongside Africa-CDC and WHO
