BASSETERRE, St. Kitts--THE Ministry of Health in Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that the territory recorded its first case of the Mpox (Monkeypox) and contact tracing has begun to minimize the spread of the disease.
In a statement issued late this afternoon, the Ministry noted that the patient is a middle aged male with travel related history. “He was tested earlier today and the sample was then sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) laboratory via the Trinidad Public Health Lab,” the ministry said.
The United States-based Center for Disease Control (CDC) explained that the Mpox is a viral disease that can be spread between people or between people and certain animals.
Officials in Port of Spain said the relevant County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) has initiated the local public health response, which includes contact tracing.
“The Ministry takes this opportunity to remind the public that the Mpox virus continues to circulate worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) update (as at July 4, 2023) 88,144 cases have been detected globally amongst 112 countries and there has been a total of 149 deaths.
“The Mpox virus can range from mild disease to severe illness and is spread through close contact or through respiratory droplets. Common signs and symptoms may include a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. Anyone experiencing these symptoms is advised to visit their nearest health facility.
The disease was thrust into the spotlight last year when there was a major spread in the United States within the LGBTQ community at the time. According to the CDC, there were 30, 555 confirmed cases with 48 deaths reported within the United States as at July 5th.
