Dubai: Jordan’s health authorities have confirmed the Kingdom’s first case of mpox in a non-Jordanian resident.
The individual is said to be in stable condition and isolated at Al Bashir Hospital in the capital Amman.
Mpox, a rare disease similar to smallpox but clinically less severe, has been increasingly reported in various parts of the world, prompting vigilance among global health officials.
The viral infection is known for causing flu-like symptoms followed by a distinctive rash.
The Ministry of Health urged the public to stay vigilant and adhere to health instructions.
The situation is being closely monitored, and all necessary measures are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
Mpox causes fever, muscle pains and skin lesions and in an increasing number of cases, death.
The disease’s resurgence and the detection in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of a new strain, dubbed Clade 1b, prompted the World Health Organization to declare its highest international alert level on August 14.
The African Union’s health watchdog, Africa CDC, also declared a public health emergency over the growing mpox outbreak on the continent.
Cases are surging in the region, with outbreaks reported in Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, but have also been detected in Asia and Europe.
At least 22,863 suspected cases and 622 deaths had been reported in Africa as of August 27, the Africa CDC said on Wednesday.
According to the WHO, Africa had 5,281 confirmed cases of mpox from the beginning of 2024 up till August 25.
The DRC, where the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970, has borne the brunt of the epidemic with 90 percent of 2024’s reported mpox cases, according to the WHO.
