Deyalsingh: Health Ministry can treat mpox

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said Trinidad and Tobago’s public-health system can treat the monkeypox (mpox) virus locally should it arrive in the country. He made the announcement after the World Health Organization (WHO) said the spread of the virus was a public-health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared mpox a PHEIC on August 14 owing to the upsurge of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries. It was also declared a PHEIC from July 2022-May 2023.

In a recorded message on Wednesday, Deyalsingh said four cases were treated in TT in 2022.

“The typical signs and symptoms to look out for are flu-like symptoms, fever, rash, blisters, and it must be remembered that this virus is transmitted via close contact, especially close sexual contact, or contact with contaminated bed linens, crockery, etc.

“In the event we have cases of mpox in TT, we have the vaccines to treat people, we have the anti-virals, and the isolation protocol is typically to isolate at home. People can be isolated at health facilities in our isolation rooms, especially if they are severely ill.”

In a response to questions from Newsday, Deyalsingh said the vaccines would expire in 2026.

Asked if screening was being carried out at ports of entry, he said, “Nowhere screens for mpox at any airport anywhere in the world.”

Deyalsingh said the ministry would continue to update the population as the situation developed.

A WHO news release said after reviewing data, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee believed the virus had the “potential to spread further across countries in Africa and possibly outside the continent.”

So far this year, more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths have been reported, which exceeds last year’s total.

Committee chair Prof Dimie Ogoina said, “The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe. Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.”

The WHO said temporary recommendations would be made to countries soon.