LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese health authorities have announced the detection of an imported case of mpox in Malta. The case, which was sexually transmitted, marks the first confirmed instance of the virus in Malta since the global outbreak in 2022. Health officials have assured the public that the patient is stable and does not require hospitalization. The individual has been placed in isolation, and contact-tracing efforts are underway to prevent further spread of the virus.
The Health Ministry has issued a set of preventive measures for the public, emphasizing the importance of safe sexual practices and open communication between partners about sexual health. They also advise avoiding close contact with individuals exhibiting Mpox symptoms and maintaining good hygiene habits. Maltese health authorities have stated they will continue to monitor the situation closely and update the public as necessary.
The World Health Organization recently declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern for the second time in two years, primarily due to outbreaks in several African nations.
The current outbreak is concentrated in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and involves two strains: clade 2b, which caused the 2022-2023 outbreak, and clade 1, including a recently identified subvariant, clade 1b. Cases have also been reported in Burundi, Nigeria, and Kenya, with travel-associated cases in Sweden and Thailand.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is caused by the monkeypox virus and is spread through close contact, including kissing, touching, and sexual activity. Symptoms include a rash or lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
foto: Agenzia Fotogramma
(ITALPRESS).
