No Mpox cases detected in Maldives yet: HPA
As of September 13, no Mpox cases have been detected
The spread of Mpox
No cases of Mpox, more commonly known as monkeypox, have been detected in the Maldives so far.
This was revealed by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
As such, the public health authority took to social media platform ‘X’ on Friday, debunking the reports circulating on social media claiming that Mpox has been discovered in Hulhumalé.
HPA assured the public that they are yet to detect an Mpox case and that the reports saying the virus has surfaced in the Maldives, are false.
HPA said that as of September 13, no Mpox cases have been detected.
The public health authority has clarified this at a time “Dhiyavaru” reported that a case of monkeypox has been discovered in Hulhumalé and that the government had kept it secret because there were no arrangements in place to test for this disease in the Maldives so far.
In response to this, Minister of Health Abdulla Khaleel has asserted that this is a blatant lie and that he would file a complaint against the news outlet.
The World Health Organization (WHO) provided the means to test for monkeypox in the Maldives on Thursday. WHO donated test kits needed for monkeypox testing, to the Ministry of Health.
State Minister Ismail Shareef received the donation on behalf of the Ministry.
Medical Officer Dr. Padmal de Silva handed the test kits over on behalf of WHO.
The government has revealed that Mpox testing will be conducted at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
However, samples for testing can be collected from any island across the Maldives.
WHO on August 14 declared that Mpox is becoming a global health emergency.
Mpox has been declared a global health emergency as it has been detected with a new strain of the disease, spreading to other countries even though it originated in the African region.
After the disease began spreading across the globe, HPA has announced that they are monitoring the situation and making the necessary arrangements to prepare for an outbreak in the Maldives.
Following this, HPA earlier revealed that they are monitoring the status of the virus and preparing for a potential outbreak.
Preparations by the public health authority include assessing the risk of the disease surfacing in the island nation, preparing for an outbreak control, testing as well as treatment.
HPA also noted that they are sensitizing healthcare workers about the disease and boosting surveillance efforts.
Maldives is yet to detect a case of the globally spreading disease.
Mpox virus is widely spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African regions.
Mpox is transmitted to humans from infected animals and once the virus enters the human body, it spreads to others through proximity and physical contact.
The current strain of Mpox is reported to be transmitting through sexual contact, however, the possibility of transmission in other ways is present.
As such, transmission is possible if someone comes in contact with the bumps or pus on the skin of the infected person, if someone comes in contact with the clothes, sheets and towels used by the infected person, it can spread through the respiratory system if they spend a lot of time with the infected person as well. It can also spread through contact with an infected animal while hunting, slaughtering, skinning or cooking.
Some of the common symptoms of the virus include fever, body aches, fatigue, developing bumps on the skin as well as pus-filled blisters.
In several cases, the infection recovers on its own, however there are times that the patient may require hospital care based on their condition.
Although there is no specific treatment for the disease, supportive treatment may be provided to assess the symptoms experienced by the infected person.
