Libya's National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed that Libya is free of monkeypox disease, a viral infection that is more common in West and Central Africa but has recently appeared in some European countries as well.

The centre said in an online statement that the infectious disease departments across the country had reported no confirmed or suspected cases so far.

It noted that the NCDC head Haider Al-Sayeh had assigned a committee to follow up on the developments of this disease.

In an advisory, the centre urged residents to reach out to medical practitioners if a rash appears following a fever and high temperature, with swollen lymph nodes, especially those returning from travel within 21 days.

It also called for avoiding contact with others when suffering from a high temperature or the appearance of a rash.