Wednesday, August 21, 2024 Argentina has quarantined a Liberian-flagged cargo ship over a suspected mpox case in a crew member, as global health authorities issue an emergency alert. Argentina has quarantined a cargo ship amid concerns over a suspected case of mpox on board. The vessel, which flies the Liberian flag, raised alarms when a crew member from India exhibited “cyst-like skin lesions” primarily on the chest and face, according to the health ministry.
In response, Argentine health authorities have implemented a public emergency protocol. The ship is anchored in the Parana River, and its crew members are prohibited from disembarking. Only medical personnel are permitted to board to assess the suspected case.
If symptoms match those of mpox, samples will be collected for testing. The ship, named Ina-Lotte, was en route to the San Lorenzo port in the Santa Fe province to collect soy cargo after arriving from Santos, Brazil. This quarantine follows the World Health Organization’s recent declaration of mpox as a global health emergency.
This new alert is due to a more virulent strain of the virus, Clade 1b, which has been linked to increased transmission and higher fatality rates compared to other strains. So far this year, mpox has been reported in approximately 13 countries, with over 17,000 confirmed cases and 571 deaths in Africa alone. The virus, formerly known as monkeypox, has two main types: Clade 1 and Clade 2.
While Clade 2 was considered relatively mild during a 2022 outbreak, Clade 1, particularly the Clade 1b variant, poses a more serious threat..
