Health authorities confirm imported case of Mpox, public urged to take precautions

Health authorities have detected an imported case of Mpox in Malta.

The case, which was transmitted sexually, involves an individual who is currently in a stable condition and does not require hospitalization.

The patient has been placed in isolation, and contact tracing efforts are actively underway to prevent any further spread of the virus.

At this point, the specific Clade of the Mpox virus involved in this case has not been identified, leaving some uncertainty about its exact characteristics. However, health officials are urging the public to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of transmission.

To help prevent the spread of Mpox, the public is advised to:

• Practice safe sex and engage in open discussions about sexual health with partners.
• Avoid close contact with individuals showing symptoms of Mpox, which include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.
• Maintain good hygiene practices, including regular hand washing with soap and water.
• Seek medical advice promptly if symptoms develop or if there has been contact with someone diagnosed with Mpox.

READ ALSO: No comparison between Mpox and COVID, virologist says

Public health authorities said they are committed to protecting the health of the community and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.

The disease causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions.

In May 2022, mpox infections surged worldwide, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men, due to the clade 2b subclade.

The WHO declared a public health emergency which lasted from July 2022 to May 2023. The outbreak, which has now largely subsided, caused some 140 deaths out of around 90,000 cases.

But the new clade 1b subclade, which has been surging in the DRC since September 2023, causes more severe disease than clade 2b. The former also has a higher fatality rate.

A public health emergency has only been declared seven times since 2009 over: H1N1 swine flu, polio virus, Ebola, Zika virus, Ebola again, COVID-19 and mpox.