Ceuta has recorded its first confirmed case of mpox after a 13-year-old unaccompanied migrant tested positive for the virus.
The Moroccan teenager is being cared for at one of the Spanish enclave’s child-protection centres after arriving during the mass border crossings at the end of July.
He remains isolated at the facility and is receiving medical treatment under direct supervision.
The infection was confirmed on Thursday by Spain’s Carlos III Health Institute after biological samples were sent for analysis.
Medical teams activated official testing and isolation procedures after the youngster developed symptoms compatible with mpox, previously known as monkeypox.
Public-health officials have also begun tracing anyone who may have had close contact with him.
No additional suspected cases had been identified as of Friday morning, while health sources said the situation at the centre remained under control.
It is the first mpox infection confirmed in Ceuta since the disease emerged as an international health concern in 2022.
The teenager is among the thousands of minors and adults who crossed into the city from Morocco during the unprecedented arrivals on July 30 and 31.
Ceuta’s already stretched accommodation network has since been forced to establish additional emergency facilities for unaccompanied children and adult migrants.
Mpox is a viral disease that is primarily transmitted through close physical contact with an infected person.
It can spread through direct skin-to-skin contact with rashes, blisters or sores, as well as through bodily fluids and contaminated materials such as clothing, towels or bedding.
It is not considered as easily transmissible as respiratory illnesses such as Covid-19.
Symptoms can include a distinctive rash or skin lesions, fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, back pain and fatigue.
They generally begin within three weeks of exposure, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Although many patients recover without serious complications, mpox can be painful and some people can become severely ill.
The level of risk depends partly on the strain involved and the health of the infected person.
