SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Mexico’s National Committee for Epidemiological Defense has issued a warning about a possible mpox outbreak in the country.
The World Health Organization has issued a similar warning.
Cases, with a new variant, have been reported in Asia and Africa.
The WHO is worried the new variant will spread to other regions, including the Caribbean and the Americas.
Mexican health officials say that so far this year, there have been 212 “probable cases” with 49 confirmed throughout Mexico.
But they say all the cases involved the known variant and not the new one.
The virus can initially cause fever, intense headaches, inflamed lymph nodes, back aches and lack of energy.
Small blisters on the skin can form three to five days after infection.
In order to avoid infection, people are advised to wash their hands frequently with soap and water followed with a lathering of sanitizer.
Residents are also being asked to wash clothes and bedding materials used by people who come down with symptoms.
According to the WHO, an mpox rash can be painful. It warns the disease can spread in various ways:
People: Through touch, kissing, or sex
Animals: When hunting, skinning, or cooking them
Materials: Such as contaminated sheets, clothes, or needles
Pregnant people: Who may pass the virus on to their unborn baby
Mpox was previously known as monkeypox because it was first seen in research monkeys. It mostly occurs in central and western Africa, but anyone can get it.
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