Here comes the bad news for the people of Morocco as the country has recently confirmed its first case of Mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox) in the city of Marrakech. This marks the first detection since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

According to the Moroccan Health Ministry, the infected person is stable in condition and is receiving the required care and treatment. The health authorities in the nation are also closely monitoring the health of all the people the man has had contact with. However, this has been reported that none of them have shown symptoms of the virus.

However, it has been suspected that this recent case of mpox in Morocco comes following the rapid spread of a new variant, known as clade lb, which was detected in Central Africa. This variant was first detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in September last year 2023. Since then it has spread to various countries in the region. This variant is considered more severe and has been associated with higher transmission rates.

The Morocco Health Authorities have not opened up about the variant the man has.

What is Mpox?

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). This virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which also includes the viruses that cause smallpox and cowpox.

Transmission

The Mpox can be spread through close person with someone who is infected, and by touching objects that have been contaminated through virus, such as bedding, clothing, and towels. It can also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms include a skin rash, fever, headache, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. The rash typically goes through several stages including blisters and scabs. Generally, it is also observed that the infection can be prevented on its own between 14 to 21 days. But in some cases, it can be fatal, especially among small children and other vulnerable groups of the society. Also, in serious cases, the condition can badly affect the whole body especially, the mouth, eyes, and genitals.

Treatment

Symptom relief is the primary goal of treatment for most mpox cases. A few possible forms of care are pain treatment, hydration to maintain a soft stool, and handling any skin damage resulting from the mpox rash.

As the rashes and scabs heal, stay home alone if you have the mpox and keep family and pets apart.

For mpox, no particular treatment has been approved. Certain antiviral medications used to treat smallpox, such as tecovirimat (TPOXX) or brincidofovir (Tembexa), may be prescribed by medical professionals to treat mpox.

Source: Ruhealth

Vaccinia immune globulin may be recommended by a medical expert to individuals who are not expected to respond to the vaccine. This contains antibodies from recipients of the smallpox vaccination.

Prevention

Vaccination of the cause is available however, the consideration along with other public health measures is necessary.

What mpox complications exist?

Complications with mpox can include:

• extensive scarring on the legs, arms, and face.
• blindness.
• further infections.
• Death, in extremely rare circumstances.

First Confirmed case mpox in 2024

Additionally, the first-ever case of mpox was reported on June 1^st in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), when a 19-year-old woman in North Kivu Province observed some symptoms in her body including muscular skin rash, difficulty swallowing, pain, and urination, headache and gentle lesions.

Cases Confirmed in 2024 till now

In 2024, over 20,000 cases and 500 deaths have been reportedly recorded across 14 African countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo is at the Centre of the outbreak with more than 5,000 cases till now.