A new case of Mpox has been recorded in Kitwe district on the Copperbelt Province, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to four.

Speaking during a cholera and Mpox update in Lusaka, Minister of Health Elijah Muchima disclosed that the new case involves a one year seven month old baby boy, who is likely to have contracted the infection through close contact with an earlier case within the household in Kitwe.

Dr Muchima said that the child is currently under home isolation, receiving medical care, and is in stable condition.

ZANIS reports that the Minister explained that health teams have continued to monitor all identified contacts for early symptom detection, adding that the affected family remains under home isolation, supported by medical teams.

And Dr Muchima has dismissed the recent claims, suggesting the presence of 13 new cholera cases in Lusaka as false and unsubstantiated.

The Minister clarified that all the 15 reported cases were restricted to Nakonde district in Muchinga Province, with 13 patients having been discharged as of yesterday.

He added that no new cholera case has been recorded, adding that the remaining two have also since been discharged.

“Over the past 72 hours, no new cholera cases have been reported. The last two patients at the Cholera Treatment Center in Nakonde have been discharged and as of today, there are no active cases under treatment,” Dr Muchima stated.

He therefore urged the public to rely on official updates from the Ministry of Health, to avoid unnecessary panic or misinformation.

He announced that the cholera situation in Nakonde district continues to improve significantly, while reaffirming government’s commitment to safeguarding public health through strengthened health measures.

Dr Muchima indicated that efforts to manage cholera must continue, particularly in hotspot districts that are historically prone to outbreaks.

“In Lusaka, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, has conducted risk assessments of hygiene conditions in the Central Business District,” the Minister said.

He added that the Ministry of Health has implemented swift and robust measures to contain the outbreak, as well as prevent its spread, including door to door chlorine distribution in the affected areas of Ntindi and Katozi in Nakonde.

Dr Muchima further announced that the commencement of Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) will begin on January 7, 2025, in Nakonde, targeting all eligible individuals from the age of one year and above.

He said that this follows approval of over 197,000 doses of the OCV by the International Coordinating Group on vaccines.