The country has its first confirmed case of the Monkey Pox Virus.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) says the patient is a middle aged man with travel related history. According to the Ministry, he was tested earlier today and the sample was then sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) laboratory via the Trinidad Public Health Lab.
The relevant County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) has initiated the local public health response, which includes contact tracing.
The Mpox virus continues to circulate worldwide, with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) update ((as at July 4, 2023)) reporting over 88 thousand cases detected globally amongst 112 countries and a total of 149 deaths.
The Mpox virus can range from mild disease to severe illness and is spread through close contact or through respiratory droplets. Common signs and symptoms may include a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. Anyone experiencing these symptoms is advised to visit their nearest health facility.
The public is also reminded to maintain good hygiene practices such as hand washing or sanitizing where appropriate.
The Ministry says at this time, the available monkey pox vaccines would be utilised for contacts of known positives only.