Argentine health authorities have quarantined a ship that left Brazil after one of the crew members showed symptoms compatible with mpox. In a statement, the Argentine Ministry of Health reported that the vessel, flying the Liberian flag, left Santos (SP) and that the crew member in question, of Hindu nationality, has skin lesions predominantly on the trunk and face and has been isolated from the rest of the crew.
“A public health emergency protocol of international importance has been activated, health checks on board have been requested for the entire crew, and samples of lesions will be collected as indicated by epidemiological surveillance,” the Argentine ministry said. The ship, which is bound for Puerto San Lorenzo in Santa Fe, will remain at anchor. “Only health teams will be allowed to board and no one will be allowed to leave the vessel.”
“Border Health Surveillance teams will board the vessel using appropriate protective measures, carry out an inspection and the entire crew will be kept in quarantine until the test results are released,” the statement added. According to the ministry, Argentina has not registered any cases of the new variant of mpox identified in African countries.
Emergency
On the 14th, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak of mpox on the African continent constitutes a public health emergency of international concern due to the risk of global spread and a potential new pandemic. This is the highest level of alert for the organization. More than 15,000 suspected cases of the disease have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, in addition to 537 deaths.
Brazil
Following the decree, the Brazilian Ministry of Health set up a Health Emergency Operations Center (COE) to coordinate response actions to mpox in the country. According to the ministry, since the first global emergency was declared due to the disease, from 2022 to 2023, surveillance for mpox has remained a priority. The ministry reported that it has already started updating the recommendations and the contingency plan for the disease in Brazil.
Data from the ministry show that, in 2024, 709 confirmed or probable cases of mpox were reported in the country, a number classified by the ministry as “significantly lower” when compared to the more than 10,000 cases reported in 2022, during the peak of the first emergency of the disease in Brazil. Since 2022, 16 deaths have also been recorded, the most recent in April 2023.
