Low risk of mpox spreading into Armenia, says healthcare ministry

There have been no cases of mpox in Armenia so far and the risk of the virus spreading into the country is low, the Armenian Ministry of Healthcare said on Friday.

On August 14, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).

Mpox (monkeypox) is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever, according to WHO.

It spreads from contact with infected:

• persons, through touch, kissing, or sex
• animals, when hunting, skinning, or cooking them
• materials, such as contaminated sheets, clothes or needles 
• pregnant persons, who may pass the virus on to their unborn baby. 

Person-to-person transmission of mpox can occur through direct contact with infectious skin or other lesions such as in the mouth or on genitals; this includes contact which is

• face-to-face
• skin-to-skin
• mouth-to-mouth
• mouth-to-skin contact
• respiratory droplets or short-range aerosols from prolonged close contact

The virus then enters the body through broken skin, mucosal surfaces (e g oral, pharyngeal, ocular, genital, anorectal), or via the respiratory tract.

Mpox causes signs and symptoms which usually begin within a week but can start 1–21 days after exposure. Symptoms typically last 2–4 weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.

Common symptoms of mpox are:

• rash
• fever
• sore throat
• headache
• muscle aches
• back pain
• low energy
• swollen lymph nodes. 

For some people, the first symptom of mpox is a rash, while others may have different symptoms first. 

Most people fully recover, but some get very sick. (The highly contagious disease - formerly known as monkeypox - has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.)

The Healthcare Ministry called on citizens to practice good hygiene (hand washing, etc.), avoid contact with people who have a rash, and immediately contact a doctor in case of developing a rash after traveling to Africa or coming in contact with someone who’s traveled there.

On August 15, Sweden's public health agency said it recorded what it said is the first case of the more dangerous type of mpox outside the African continent.