Argentina strengthens border controls as monkeypox spreads

Buenos Aires, Aug 16 (EFE).- The Argentine Ministry of Health announced on Thursday night that will strengthen health controls at airports and other points of entry into the country due to the recent declaration of the mpox virus (formerly monkeypox) as a “global health emergency” by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Following the declaration of monkeypox as a public health event of international importance by the World Health Organization (WHO), authorities and technical teams from the national health portfolio held a meeting where details about the national epidemiological situation were shared, information was provided on prevention and case management, and actions for surveillance, detection and diagnosis of the disease were analyzed,” the Ministry of Health reported.

Following this meeting, and despite the fact that no cases of the new MPOX variant have been recorded so far, it was decided to reinforce “the recommendations according to the guidelines of the International Health Regulations to issue alerts in the event of suspicions to all border officials at land entry points, ports and airports.”

“The Ministry of Health of the Nation continues to prioritize epidemiological surveillance actions for the detection, early diagnosis, adequate care and implementation of isolation measures and contact tracing of possible cases,” added the statement, which highlighted that during 2024 five cases of monkeypox were identified in the country, all belonging to a variant that has been circulating in the region for some time.

Although no cases of the new variant of monkeypox have yet been reported in Argentina, the ministry continues to prioritize epidemiological surveillance actions.

The government’s decision comes amid growing global concern over the rise in cases of MPOX, especially in Africa, where thousands of infections and hundreds of deaths have been recorded.

Monkeypox is an infectious disease that can cause a painful rash, swollen glands, and fever. It is transmitted through close skin-to-skin or skin-to-mucous membrane contact (such as saliva), especially during sexual intercourse, or through contaminated objects and puncture wounds.