In Mexico, 53 cases of Mpox (monkeypox) have been registered, until August 10, according to the latest report from the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sinave), of the Ministry of Health, and 51 of these in men.
The entity where the most cases have been reported is Mexico City (32), followed by Quintana Roo (8), Jalisco (3), Puebla and Morelos (with 2 cases each), and the State of Mexico, Nuevo León, Sinaloa, Tlaxcala, Veracruz and Tamaulipas with one case each.
During the past month, Sinave registered seven cases of Mpox, going from 42 to 49 confirmed patients; and until last August 10, 53 cases were registered.
In comparison, during 2023, there were 285 cases of monkeypox in the same period; However, just on August 14, the WHO declared a health emergency due to a significant increase in cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in several African countries.
However, in July 2022, Mpox was also declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), which the same Organization ended in May of last year.
And in Mexico, it is a disease that has been present during these years, since from 2022 until August 5, 2024, 7,385 reported cases have been registered, and of these 4,130 were confirmed.
In response to the health emergency declared by the WHO for Mpox (monkeypox), on August 14, the National Committee for Epidemiological Surveillance (Conave) published an epidemiological notice to specify the actions that medical personnel in medical units must take when identifying a probable case.
The objective is for the country’s medical units to monitor and report probable cases in order to reduce, as far as possible, the chains of contagion and provide sick people with timely medical care.
“The occurrence of Mpox (monkeypox) outbreaks in different parts of the world, mainly in African countries, with which there is a significant population movement, increases the risk of a greater number of cases in Mexico,” the notice emphasizes.
In the presence of symptoms, the Ministry of Health (Ssa) recommends that the general population wash their hands frequently, with soap and water or alcohol gel solution; use a medical mask; avoid sharing food, drinks, cutlery and plates; clean and disinfect spaces where a sick person has been found; and cover nose and mouth with the inside of the elbow when sneezing or coughing; among others.
Monkeypox outbreak (mpox) is not a problem in Mexico: UNAM specialist
In Mexico the situation is under control and there are no warning signs at the moment, said Mauricio Rodríguez Álvarez, professor of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology of the Faculty of Medicine and spokesperson for the University Research Program on Epidemiological and Emerging Risks (PUIREE).
“First we must understand that at the moment there is no indicator that mpox is a problem in Mexico; that there is a system to monitor and detect the introduction of the virus into the country. We hope that if Clade 1b arrives it will be detected and action can be taken immediately,” he said.
The specialist stressed that it is spread by direct close contact, there must be contact of the skin or mucous membranes with bodily fluids (such as saliva and semen) or with the lesions caused by mpox. Especially if the skin is injured or has small lesions, there may be greater ease for the virus to enter.
Recommendations from the Specialist
People who travel to African countries where the problem is (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda) should take precautions during their trips and be aware upon their return.
Likewise, people who live with other human beings who have been diagnosed with mpox should also be aware.
The specialist said that monkeypox is a disease that is addressed as if it were a sexually transmitted infection, since it has been seen mainly in people at risk due to their sexual activity, it is not a widespread problem in the entire population.
“There are no vaccines available in Mexico, but there is no urgency for biologicals either, so far this year only 53 cases of mpox have been confirmed in Mexico and all are due to the virus that has been circulating since 2022,” he added.
Source: eluniversal
