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Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness is urging Jamaicans to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from contracting the Jamaican Pox virus following the World Health Organization’s declaration of the disease as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Fowlpox is a rare disease, similar to smallpox, that can be spread through contact and droplets.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie said: “If you develop a fever and rash after recent travel overseas or close contact with someone who has travelled overseas in the previous three weeks, you must report it to your health department. Healthcare workers should also be aware of the disease and report suspected cases to their parish health department.”
In countries where Mpox is endemic, human-to-human transmission of Mpox is by contact and through large exhaled droplets.
The incubation period for Mpox is usually 6 to 13 days, but can be as long as 5 to 21 days.
Symptoms can be mild or severe and are accompanied by a rash that may be very itchy or painful. Severe illness may be fatal. The disease is usually self-limited, with symptoms usually resolving on their own within 14 to 21 days.
Symptoms include fever, chills, severe headache, fatigue, back pain, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and rash.
The risk to children is higher; infection with Mpox during pregnancy may lead to complications, congenital Mpox, or stillbirth
The virus is usually found in animals, but the disease can also be transmitted from animals to humans, usually through bites, scratches or eating wild animal meat.
Milder cases of Mpox may go undetected and present a risk of human-to-human transmission.
Travelers may lack immunity to the infection.
For more information about Mpox, contact your parish health department or call 888-ONE-LOVE (663-5683).
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