EXECUTIVE director of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) Kandasi Walton-Levermore is warning that Jamaica needs to be alert and ready for any eventuality, given the global health threat concerning the deadly mpox disease, before it gets too close to home.

Mpox, which is a rare disease that is similar to smallpox and can be transmitted by contact and droplet exposure, was last Wednesday declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Based on the WHO’s declaration… Jamaica cannot be found asleep in this situation. We are at the stage in health where we’re seeing a number of new and emerging infectious diseases, and it is up to countries to be prepared. One of the key pieces around mpox is that sometimes we get lost in thinking that some of these things they have nothing to do with us, but any outbreak anywhere is cause for everyone to put their safeguards in place,” Walton-Levermore told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

“We cannot afford to just lay silent and wait until we hear that there are persons closer to us who are impacted by mpox. We have to just make sure that our safeguards are in place, so that in the event that it comes, there is enough to prevent an outbreak here in Jamaica,” she added.

Walton-Levermore said that JASL has been on the front lines in terms of giving out information to individuals about mpox. The entity is the oldest HIV/AIDS response non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the Caribbean providing treatment, support and prevention services.

“So under the ‘One Life, One Health’ programme that we have, we’ll continue to disseminate the messages and have the conversations, especially now that there is a new strain, so that individuals can remain vigilant and do whatever is necessary to protect themselves, their family and their community,” she said.

The One Life, One Health project, launched in July, seeks to raise awareness about epidemic-prone diseases and promote positive social norms for better health outcomes across Jamaica.

The initiative, which involves the delivery of free health services via mobile units, is targeted at communities based on risk factors, population density, and educational levels.

In the meantime, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie is warning that in the current outbreak of mpox, a milder version of the illness is being seen and could possibly go undetected by those infected and result in its spread.

She said the main symptom of the current strain are lesions which appear mostly on the genitalia.

“Prevention is therefore critical, and individuals are advised to seek medical attention if they have symptoms suggestive of mpox,” she told the Observer.

According to the WHO, for some people, the first symptom of mpox is a rash, while others may have different symptoms first.

The rash begins as a flat sore which develops into a blister filled with liquid and may be itchy or painful. As the rash heals, the lesions dry up, crust over and fall off.

Some people may have one or a few skin lesions and others have hundreds or more. These can appear anywhere on the body such as the palms of hands and soles of feet, face, mouth and throat, groin and genital areas, anus.

And with the risk of the disease being imported into Jamaica through travel, the CMO said the ministry is continuing to monitor the global situation, assuring that surveillance for mpox is ongoing, including testing when indicated.

“There has been no confirmed cases of mpox in Jamaica since March 2023. However, with international travel, there is risk of cases being imported into Jamaica. Individuals should therefore be vigilant and practise routine infection precautions,” she said.

In a release last Thursday, the ministry said there is likely to be little immunity to the infection in those travelling.

The CMO told the Observer that there are response measures which should limit the spread of mpox and these will be implemented as appropriate.

She said standard infection prevention measures can help to reduce the risk of transmission of mpox. These include washing hands frequently, using hand sanitisers, avoiding close contact generally and with ill persons, and practising safe sex such as using of condoms and sticking to one partner.

In the release, Dr Bisasor McKenzie advised people to report to the health department if fever and rash occur following recent international travel or close contact with persons who travelled within the preceding three weeks.

“Health-care workers are also to have a heightened sense of awareness of this illness and report suspected cases to the parish health department,” she said.

The first case of mpox outside the African continent was reported in Sweden last Thursday, and the WHO said more imported Clade 1 mpox cases were likely to be confirmed in Europe soon.

“The confirmation of mpox Clade 1 in Sweden is a clear reflection of the interconnectedness of our world. There are likely to be further imported cases of Clade 1 in the European region over the coming days and weeks,” the WHO’s European regional office said in a statement.

Alarmed by a rise in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the spread of mpox to nearby countries, WHO experts said last Wednesday that the “situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern”.

A total of 38,465 cases of the disease, formerly known as monkeypox, have been reported in 16 African countries since January 2022, with 1,456 deaths.

There has been a 160 per cent increase in cases this year compared to the previous year, according to data published last week by the health agency.