Argentine authorities have placed a cargo ship on quarantine in the Parana River due to a suspected mpox case on board, the government announced. This comes as global health officials stay vigilant for a potentially faster-spreading variant of the virus.
As explained, near Argentina’s inland grains port of Rosario, a cargo ship reported to authorities that a crew member of Indian nationality was exhibiting cyst-like skin lesions mainly on the chest and face, according to a ministry statement.
The affected individual has been isolated from the rest of the crew, and emergency public health protocols have been initiated. The ship, originally headed for San Lorenzo port in Santa Fe province, was required to anchor in the river.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).
Last week, the Director-General triggered the process for Emergency Use Listing for mpox vaccines, which will accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries which have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval. Emergency Use Listing also enables partners including Gavi and UNICEF to procure vaccines for distribution.
