NPHIL Confirms Three New Cases of Monkeypox Clade-IIa in Liberia

The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) has confirmed the circulation of the Monkeypox virus Clade-IIa in the country, following molecular genetic sequencing results.

In addition, NPHIL has announced the detection and confirmation of three new Mpox cases, bringing the total number of confirmed 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 August 2024.

Since January 2024, Liberia has recorded 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 the Monkeypox virus Clade-IIa in Liberia was established through genomic sequencing performed by 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, highlighted 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. 

NPHIL continues to manage several 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 in collaboration with Africa-CDC and WHO.