Freetown, Sierra Leone — Hawa Hunt, a reality TV star and fitness coach, has announced that she has contracted the Mpox virus, just weeks after her release from prison.
In a Facebook post, Hunt shared her diagnosis, expressing relief that she had not traveled to Canada to visit her children, which could have risked exposing them to the virus.
She wrote, “I am glad I did not go and hug my kids and share such virus with them. I would have felt horrible.”
She also urged those she has recently been in contact with to get tested: “To all those I’ve come in contact with lately, please go get checked for MPOX.”
Hunt also announced plan to host a live session to discuss her experience and raise awareness about the virus.
Hawa Hunt gained prominence as a contestant on the reality TV show “House of Stars.” Two months ago, she faced legal challenges when she was arrested live during a diary session for alleged disparaging remarks she made.
Mpox is transmitted through close interactions with infected individuals or animals, including direct contact with lesions, scabs, bodily fluids, or contaminated materials.
Sierra Leone confirmed its first Mpox outbreak on January 13, 2025, and has since recorded over 20 cases, primarily in the densely populated Western Area. The government declared a health emergency in January and received over 61,000 doses of Mpox vaccines in February to combat the spread.
Mpox, formerly known as Monkey Pox, was first detected in 1958 in a Copenhagen laboratory, with the first human case reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. The virus is uncommon in Sierra Leone, with most cases in the region previously reported in Nigeria and the D.R. Congo.
Hunt’s openness about her diagnosis aims to encourage vigilance and prompt medical attention among those who may have been exposed.
