Fears in Morocco as Marrakesh reports first monkeypox case amid Africa outbreak

Morocco announced a case of mpox in the country on Thursday, just one month after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a matter of international concern amid a global outbreak.

Morocco’s health ministry said a man in the city of Marrakesh had contracted mpox, without specifying which variant he had carried, saying he was receiving treatment and in a stable condition.

The outbreak in the North African country comes amid the rapid spread of a new variant of the virus in Central Africa.

A statement released on Thursday by Moroccan authorities said they were tracing and monitoring the health of everyone the man was in contact with, and that none were showing any symptoms.

The mpox infection, formerly known as monkeypox, typically lasts between 14 and 21 days, but can be spread through touching objects which have been contaminated by the virus, such as towels and bedding.

Dr. Tayeb Hamdi, a Moroccan researcher in health systems and policy told The New Arab’s correspondent in Morocco, Basma El Atti, that the virus was spreading in African countries more easily than elsewhere.

"All countries are vulnerable - Morocco is in Africa and has strong connections with African nations… therefore this follows the logic of epidemiology," he explained.

Mpox can be fatal in some cases, especially for very young or vulnerable people, including children.

The virus can affect the whole body, particularly the mouth, eyes and genitals.

In recent months, over 20,000 cases and 500 deaths have been reported across 14 countries in Africa, raising concerns about the spread of the disease.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been recorded as the centre of the outbreak, with over 5,000 cases reported this year.

Dr Hamdi said Morocco has so far handled the response to the outbreak well.

"The goals of monitoring, surveillance, and alert systems are not to prevent a virus from entering a country but to detect imported cases as early as possible and to minimise secondary cases and local transmission," he said.

He urged people to show vigilance and take precautions now rather than after the disease had spread.

"For both citizens and healthcare professionals, usual hygiene measures, such as handwashing and avoiding contact with individuals showing symptoms similar to Mpox until proven otherwise, should be followed," he said, adding that healthcare professionals should also be investigating cases more thoroughly.

Last month, WHO’s director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was clear that a "co-ordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives".

The concern comes as logistical challenges that make it difficult to treat people with vaccines in Congo. Around 200,000 vaccines donated by the European Commission were flown into the country’s capital last week but are yet to be transported across the country where they are needed most.

Dr Hamdi called on people in Morocco to stay informed on mpox, and for professionals to be active in monitoring.

"This includes managing detected cases and implementing appropriate public health measures," he said.

"However, it is time for wealthy countries, which do not have the virus, disease, or epidemic, and which possess financial resources, vaccines, and tests, to share these resources with African countries that are facing the virus and the epidemic but lack vaccines, tests, and sufficient means to control and contain the outbreak," he added.

According to Dr Hamdi, based on scientific and epidemiological data, it is still possible to prevent a global spread.