Claim: "New Sickness in Sierra Leone Kills over 200 Persons"
Verdict: A viral social media post claiming that "MPox" has killed over 200 people in Sierra Leone significantly exaggerates the actual death toll.
Official data from Sierra Leone's National Public Health Agency confirms only 14 deaths, not 200 as claimed.
Full Text: On May 17, 2025, Matthew Sayeh posted on Facebook that a "new illness" in Sierra Leone had reportedly killed over 200 people. He identified this disease as "MPox." The post generated substantial engagement with 56 reactions, 88 comments, and 718 shares during fact-checking.
What is MPox?
MPox (formerly known as monkeypox) is a viral illness transmitted from animals to humans and between people through close contact. It is caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox and manifests with symptoms including:
- High fever
- Skin lesions
- Headaches
- Back pain
- Muscle aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
First identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, the disease had generally been confined to a dozen African countries before spreading more widely beginning in 2022. The World Health Organization declared its highest level of alert regarding MPox in 2024.
Types of MPox
- Responsible for the current rise of cases in Central and Eastern Africa
- Historically, it caused more severe illness
- Historical death rates up to 10%
- Recent outbreaks have seen lower death rates of about 1-3.3%
- Caused the global outbreak beginning in 2022
- Less severe infections
- Survival rate above 99.9%
- Endemic to West Africa
- 2,634 confirmed MPox cases
- 2,056 currently active cases
- 75 new cases
- 14 deaths
- 628 recovered patients
- 3,484 suspected cases
District Breakdown of Cases:
- Western Area Urban: 1,716
- Western Area Rural: 547
- Bombali: 136
- Port Loko: 56
- Kenema: 37
- Kono: 34
- Bo: 24
- Koinadugu: 20
- Bonthe: 15
- Tonkolili: 15
- Kailahun: 7
- Kambia: 7
- Pujehun: 7
- Moyamba: 5
- Falaba: 4
- Karene: 4
Gender Analysis:
- 47.9% female
- 52.1% male
Conclusion: While Sierra Leone is experiencing a significant MPox outbreak with 2,634 confirmed cases, the death toll stands at 14, not "over 200" as claimed. The viral social media post exaggerates the mortality rate by more than 14 times the actual figure reported by official health authorities.
