No mpox cases recorded in Armenia
No cases of mpox have been confirmed in Armenia to date, the Ministry of Health says, adding the risk of its spread to the country is currently considered low.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries, Reuters reported.
Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
The outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But a new variant, clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.
It has spread from Congo to neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, triggering the action from the WHO.
To address the outbreak, WHO has already released $1.5m in contingency funds and plans to mobilise more resources.