25 active Mpox cases confirmed in Liberia

The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) has confirmed 25 active cases of Mpox currently in the country.

By Kruah Thompson

Monrovia, Liberia, May 23, 2025: Speaking at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Thursday, NPHIL Director General Dr. Chris Nyan disclosed that from January 2024 to present, a total of 102 laboratory-confirmed cases have been recorded.

Out of this number, 77 individuals have recovered, leaving 25 active cases under NPHIL monitoring and treatment.

He explained that at one point, Liberia had between 65 to 68 active cases, all of which were successfully treated. By December 2024, there were no active case, and the country had gone silent on new detections.

However, following the Christmas holidays, new infections began to reappear. In January 2025, they started recording sporadic cases.

By April, they noticed a slight increase, and because they were already prepared, they were able to quickly respond to the cases and conducted several awareness campaigns.

Based on this outreach, people started to show up at their doorstep, bringing their children for check-ups.

He reported, “Some of them came showing their kids, asking whether what was appearing on their child was the symptom being discussed on the radio.”

Dr. Nyan stated that based on the number of cases they received, earlier this week, 12 suspected cases were brought in for testing.

Of these, three were confirmed positive, with an additional case found later, bringing the number to four.

However, he stated that further surveillance led to over ten additional positive cases, increasing the current number of active cases to 25.

“In total, 102 Mpox cases have been confirmed from January 1, 2024, to May 22, 2025.” Dr. Nyan said noting that the outbreak was first declared a public health emergency of national and regional concern in 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

He added that Liberia had previously responded to Mpox cases between 2020 and 2021, but the virus itself dates back to 1970, with the first known detection reported as early as 1858 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since then, he says it has spread across various African countries, particularly in West and Central Africa.

“When I took over as head of NPHIL, it was just days after WHO and Africa CDC had declared the outbreak. Liberia had detected its first 2024 case in Sanniquellie, Nimba County,” Dr. Nyan said.

According to him, the institute has since been conducting widespread awareness campaigns through the media and local dialects to inform the public without creating panic.

He emphasized that the health response strategy focuses on staying ahead of the disease rather than reacting to it.

NPHIL has been conducting diagnostic testing to differentiate Mpox from other similar viruses such as chickenpox and cowpox. Once a suspected case is tested and confirmed positive in the laboratory, it is no longer considered a suspected case but added to the total confirmed tally.

“We evaluate the severity of each case. Mild cases are treated at home, while severe cases are sent to designated isolation centers,” Dr. Nyan explained. He cited several treatment centers including the renovated Sky Base facility in Monrovia, and others in Ganta and around the country.

“As part of our response strategy, our team recently visited the border with Sierra Leone to raise awareness and collaborate on cross-border health efforts,” Dr. Nyan said. “We have confirmed that Liberia is currently dealing with Mpox Type 1, while Sierra Leone is battling Mpox Type 2.”

He concluded by encouraging citizens to remain calm, practice proper hygiene, and report any suspicious symptoms to nearby health facilities. Edited by Othello B. Garblah.