CARPHA Monitoring Mpox Outbreak
Mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 14 August 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO) following an upsurge of infections by the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of countries in Africa.
About Mpox
This is the highest level of global alert recognizing the potential threat this virus poses to countries around the world, and it is the second declaration in two years of a PHEIC relating to mpox. This current outbreak of mpox is caused by clade I, which is more transmissible and causes more severe illness. Clade II was responsible for an outbreak that WHO declared to be a global health emergency from July 2022 to May 2023.
No Cases Reported in the Caribbean and its Neighbouring Countries
Presently, no cases of clade 1b mpox have been reported in the Caribbean and its neighbouring countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Latin America. There is also a limited number of travellers and no direct commercial flights from the Democratic Republic of Congo, or its neighbouring countries, to the Caribbean.
The View from CARPHA
“CARPHA is monitoring the situation closely. The current risk to the Caribbean population from mpox clade 1b is low to moderate, as no cases of mpox have been identified in the CARPHA Member States. However, the identification of the first case of clade 1b outside of Africa is a warning call for public health authorities to be vigilant and necessitates enhanced surveillance by all Caribbean countries, inclusive of monitoring of incoming passengers and rapid/early identification of potential cases, and a well-coordinated regional and international response,”
states Dr Lisa Indar, Ad Interim Executive Director at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
About MPox
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can spread easily between people and from infected animals. It can spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, such as during sex, and through contaminated materials, including sheets and clothing used by an infected person.
Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or mucosal lesions that can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
Contact with Infected Animals and Materials should be Avoided
To reduce exposure to and transmission of the virus, persons should maintain basic hand hygiene – wash hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
avoid close contact with sick people,
avoid contact with wild animals
and avoid contact with contaminated materials.