A CPC team on the ground in Yingui

While in the Littoral region, these researchers are tracking down mammals that are potential carriers of Monkey Mpox.

To better monitor monkeypox in Cameroon, Dr Delia DJUICY and Mohamadou Njankouo Ripa from the CPC’s Virology Department have been travelling long distances over the past few days, through cocoa plantations, cultivated areas and the endless forests of Yingui, Ndem 1, Iboti, Ndokagniak and Ndogmem Nord (Nkam department, Littoral region) on a daily basis.

These researchers are setting traps for rodents, targeting squirrels (Funisciurus) and Gambian rats (Cricetomys) in particular. Samples will be taken from these mammals to help monitor for monkeypox.

According to the literature on Mpox, it appears that both clades of monkeypox (clade 1 and clade 2) are circulating in Cameroon. With a distinct geographical separation: the Sanaga River. This disease has been declared a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This expedition by the Centre Pasteur du Cameroun will be accompanied by experts from the University of Douala and local guides.