Honduran health authorities reported Wednesday that they are investigating five suspected cases of the new variant of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in the western part of the country.
Honduran Health Minister Carla Paredes told reporters that five members of the same family considered “suspects” are “isolated” until it is determined if they are indeed the first confirmed cases of the disease in the Central American country.
He said that one of the people arrived in Honduras five days ago after being deported from the United States, although he has not yet shown any symptoms.
Paredes said that four members of the same family “have skin rashes,” but clarified that for now it cannot be confirmed whether it is the new mpox variant.
“We hope to have the results next Friday. The father of these children was deported five days ago, but the family has been (symptoms) for two weeks, initially the mother and then other family members,” the official explained.
The five cases were recorded in the municipality of Belén Gualcho, department of Lempira, in western Honduras.
Paredes said that Honduras, a mandatory crossing point for Latin American, African and Asian migrants on their journey to the United States, is “prepared to respond” to cases of monkeypox.
On August 14, the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the increase in mpox infections (clade 1 and clade 1b) in Africa, where the virus is circulating intensively.
Honduran authorities have set up epidemiological surveillance posts at various airports, border crossings and ports in the country to detect suspected cases of mpox, although the Central American nation has not yet registered any confirmed cases of the disease.
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