In light of the recent global health emergency regarding mpox, the government has decided to take proactive steps to safeguard the population from the potential outbreak of the virus.

Ministry of Health and Population Spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar announced that several measures had been implemented to prevent individuals infected with mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, from entering the country. The move comes in the wake of alerts late last week by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organisation declaring the disease a public health emergency in Africa.

On 14 August the WHO said the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of other countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

Abdel-Ghaffar told Al-Ahram Weekly that the ministry had decided to activate surveillance procedures at various entry points in Egypt for travellers coming from regions and countries affected by the disease. He emphasised that these procedures will be applied at “air, sea, and land” entry points to help prevent the disease from entering the country, part of comprehensive precautionary measures taken by health authorities to avoid epidemic diseases.

Abdel-Ghaffar said that this month, guidelines for dealing with mpox had been updated and sent to hospitals and preventive medicine units across the country. The aim is to provide updated information on the disease, its prevention and treatment. The guide, issued by the preventive medicine sector, includes details on the epidemiological outbreak of the disease, methods of transmission, symptoms and preventive measures to reduce the risk of human infection.

A new strain of the virus is considered more lethal, has a higher fatality rate, and is more widespread than previous strains. It was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo in September 2023.

According to Abdel-Ghaffar, mpox had previously been listed by the ministry as a disease under surveillance since the WHO declared it a public health emergency in July 2022, before lifting that designation in May 2023.

According to Assistant Minister of Health and Population for Preventive Affairs Amr Kandil, the world is concerned about the spread of mpox in “unusual areas”. On 16 August, it was announced that a case was discovered in Sweden.

Kandil explained to the Weekly that although the disease is uncommon, it is classified among infectious diseases that require vigilance and adherence to preventive measures. He noted that at present it is too early to determine whether mpox will become an epidemic.

Nevertheless, Kandil stressed the importance of vigilance, strengthening epidemiological surveillance, and raising awareness on preventive measures to curb its spread.

“Mpox is a viral infection transmitted through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms in addition to pus-filled blisters on the skin. Most cases of this type of infection are mild but the virus can cause death,” said Kandil, adding that the common symptoms of mpox include a rash or mucosal lesion that can last from two to four weeks, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes.

The virus, according to Kandil, is a viral zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. It is primarily spread through close contact with an infected person or contaminated materials, making it less contagious than airborne viruses like Covid-19. However, the virus can still cause significant public health challenges due to its potential severity.

According to Africa CDC, the mortality rate from the virus exceeds three per cent, with children under 15 being the most at risk, representing at least 60 per cent of the infections. This is in addition to those with weakened immune systems. Currently, there is no specific treatment for mpox, but vaccines developed for smallpox have shown efficacy in preventing infection.

Kandil confirmed that the Ministry of Health and Population has enough amounts of the vaccine required to combat the virus. “Priority for the vaccine is for people who suffer weaknesses in their immunity, older people, and those who suffer from chronic diseases. People do not need to worry,” he added.

According to Zaher, symptoms of mpox generally last from 14 to 21 days, are usually mild and said most people recover within a few weeks after being treated in hospital. More than 90 per cent of infected cases suffer rash and blisters on their face, while 75 per cent of infected people get rashes in the palms of their hands and soles of the feet, while 30 per cent suffer rashes in their genitalia, and 20 per cent in their conjunctiva, the thin mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the white of the eye.

Zaher said that despite the similarity in the names and symptoms between mpox and chickenpox, both viruses are completely different as they are from two different families. The mpox virus belongs to the pox viruses family while chickenpox belongs to the herpes viruses family.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 22 August, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly