Human infection with monkeypox virus : Liberia and Sierra Leone

The Regional Smallpox Eradication Program in twenty West and Central African countries has progressed with marked success since its beginning in 1967. There have been no confirmed smallpox cases since May 1970, when an outbreak was reported in Kwara State, Nigeria (SEP-R Volume IV, No. 5). An active search has been made to establish the existence of non-human reservoirs of infections, especially in primates. Sixteen outbreaks of pox disease in monkeys have been summarized by Arita and Henderson. This preliminary report presents the clinical, epidemiologic and laboratory investigations of four cases in Liberia and one case in Sierra Leone. Reported by the Ministries of Health, Liberia and Sierra Leone and the Smallpox Eradication Program, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia.

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