No mPox cases detected in Maldives yet: HPA

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has stated that there have been no cases of mPox detected in the country to date.

Their statement was made in response to claims on social media that a person in Hulhumale' had been found to be positive for mPox. HPA rejected these rumours, stating these were false claims.

While the mPox outbreak in Africa poses a global threat according to a World Health Organization (WHO) announcement on May 14, cases have been since recorded even in Asian countries that Maldivians frequently travel to, such as India.

Yesterday, WHO donated mPox test kits to the Maldives.

Understanding mPOx

Mpox, originally known as monkeypox, is a virus transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals. Once in a human host, the virus can be spread from person to person, though transmission typically requires close physical contact.

The virus was first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Symptoms include coughing, pain, and pus-filled blisters on the body.

There are two identified strains of the virus: clade 1, which is common in the Congo region of Central Africa, and clade 2, prevalent in West Africa. Clade 1 is associated with a higher vulnerability.

In May 2022, mpox was reported globally, with the disease primarily affecting homosexual men at that time, who were infected with the clade 2B subclade. The WHO declared it a global health threat.

The threat status was maintained from July 2022 to May 2023 but was lifted after a decline in cases. However, since September of the previous year, over 11,000 people have been infected in the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in 445 deaths.

To date, the WHO reports that more than 14,000 people have been infected and 524 have died in 2024 alone.