Case Report

First identification of Molluscum contagiosum poxvirus from human in Senegal

Fatou K. Top, Landry G. Boussiengui, Ndèye C. Sall, Martin Faye
Journal of Public Health in Africa | Vol 17, No 1 | a1586 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jphia.v17i1.1586 | © 2026 Fatou K. Top, Landry G. Boussiengui, Ndèye C. Sall, Martin Faye | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 29 July 2025 | Published: 08 May 2026

About the author(s)

Fatou K. Top, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
Landry G. Boussiengui, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
Ndèye C. Sall, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
Martin Faye, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal

Abstract

Herein, we report on the first identification of a human case of Molluscum contagiosum virus (MOCV) in Senegal. In 2024, a male child living in Diamniadio, Dakar region, with no history of travel, tested positive for MOCV. The aetiology was identified using metagenomic sequencing in the framework of the ongoing preparedness activities for the 2024 mpox public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Given the overlapping clinical features of MOCV infection and mpox, further research on MOCV is warranted in the West African region, particularly in the current context of high mpox circulation.

Keywords

Molluscum contagiosum virus; Senegal; human infection; mpox surveillance; metagenomic sequencing

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