GABORONE, Aug. 25 — Botswana has not recorded any cases of mpox, but it has intensified its epidemiological surveillance system at ports of entry and across the country, according to a senior official Tuesday. Speaking during a media briefing in Gaborone, Botswana‘s capital, Minister of Health Edwin Dikoloti stated that while the country has not documented any cases, they have bolstered surveillance measures, including screening at borders and airports, due to the high-risk nature of these locations. He highlighted that the southern African country is ready to test for mpox as needed. “Our laboratory networks have been strengthened during (the) COVID-19 pandemic to conduct genomic sequencing to add to the global knowledge on the disease,” said Dikoloti.
He mentioned that medication for treating mpox is available at healthcare facilities nationwide, but vaccines are not yet widely accessible. The ministry is currently collaborating with international partners to ensure vaccine availability for national protection as needed. He also urged the public to exercise caution when traveling to affected countries and discouraged unnecessary travel until the situation improves. Mpox is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a viral infection which can spread between people, mainly through close contact, and occasionally from the environment to people via things and surfaces that have been touched by a person with mpox. In settings where the monkeypox virus is present among some wild animals, it can also be transmitted from infected animals to people who have contact with them, according to the World Health Organization.
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