The Ministry of Health is presently monitoring the emerging presence of monkeypox across the globe to ensure that the territory is prepared to detect and respond to the virus should it reach the British Virgin Islands.
Minister for Health Honourable Marlon Penn updated the territory on his ministry’s approach to the developing virus during Thursday’s House of Assembly Sitting.
He said despite that the present likelihood of the virus reaching the territory is low, measures will be taken to ensure the BVI is ready in the event that it does.
“The Ministry of Health will coordinate the dissemination of information to agencies involved in Port Health and Animal Quarantine, as well as healthcare providers and regional counterparts. Many of the specific recommended actions from CARPHA are in place in the BVI, and strengthened in response to COVID-19,” he stated.
He added, “Although the likelihood of monkeypox spread in our community is currently low, the Chief Medical Officer and other officials will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that the Territory is prepared to detect and respond to any cases as needed, and will keep the community informed of any change in the situation.”
Risk of spread to the region
Minister Penn said that there remains the risk of monkeypox reaching the Caribbean region due to daily travel from countries that have already detected the virus.
He called on regional bodies to heighten their surveillance and monitoring capacity to ensure quick detection of the virus should it arrive in the region.
“Awareness is being raised among healthcare workers and Port Health Authorities across the region to ensure that adequate prevention and control measures are in place. There needs to be heightened communicable disease surveillance and monitoring of any reported cases of rash-like illness accompanied by fever,” he said.
“People with monkeypox initially develop symptoms such as exhaustion, fever, headaches, backache, muscle ache, chills, and swollen lymph glands. Rashes also develop within 1-3 days of fever onset firstly on the face and then on the hands, feet, and other parts of the body. Symptoms can last 2 to 4 weeks and severity depends on age. More severe disease occurs in young children,” he explained.
Testing capacity to be developed in the region
The health minister also revealed that the Caribbean Public Health Agency is presently in dialogue with international health agencies to develop testing capacity for the virus in the region.
He said, “Testing for monkeypox is currently not available in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is reportedly in discussion with PAHO and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assess its capacity to develop this testing capability. In due course, it is expected that CARPHA will inform member states when the capability is available and how samples will be handled.”
Penn said that while Monkeypox is similar to smallpox and the smallpox vaccine offers some protection, the smallpox vaccine is not widely available and is no longer on the immunization schedule.
He said guidance will be provided by PAHO/WHO on the matter, as necessary.
92 cases and 12 affected countries
The minister also provided some details on the current monkeypox situation on the global scene, revealing that some 12 countries have been affected with a total of 92 confirmed cases.
“As of May 21, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported ninety-two (92) laboratory-confirmed cases and twenty-eight (28) suspected cases of monkeypox in 12 of its Member States where the virus is not endemic. Monkeypox is not a new virus with the first case having been identified in 1970. It has been found regularly in several Central and West African countries,” he stated.
“The first case in this outbreak was announced on May 7, 2022, by the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The initial patient is thought to have contracted the infection during recent travel to Nigeria. From May 6th and 20th, there were twenty (20) persons confirmed to have monkeypox in England. Since then, monkeypox cases have been reported outside of England in at least 11 other countries – Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United States,” Penn added.