Ghana has recorded the first death of Monkeypox virus since its emergence in the country.
According to the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi in a statement over the weekend, the case, which was recorded in the Upper East Region on Friday, July 22, 2022, had a history of fever and skin rash.
He said, the patient later tested positive after suspicion at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR).
“This is the first confirmed case in the region.
“The confirmed case was seen on the 22nd July, 2022 at the Upper East Regional Hospital, with a history of fever and skin rash.
He stated that the patient died on the 26th of July 2022.
“Unfortunately, the patient died on 26th July 2022,” he said.
He added that: “Samples were taken on the 22nd of July 2022 for confirmation at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra. We received feedback on the 28th of July, 2022, indicating the sample tested positive for the Monkeypox disease.”
Meanwhile, Surveillance has been mounted in the Region, according to the Health Directorate, and all health emergency response teams have also been activated to contain the disease.
Thirteen contacts have so far been traced and are being monitored.
On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, Ghana recorded its first five cases according to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye.
Since then, Ghana has recorded more than 30 cases with no new cases as of Sunday, July 31, 2022, according to Dr. Kofi Dzotsi in his statement.