The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has alerted all agencies concerned about the growing risk of the spread of mpox, also known as the monkeypox virus, in communities.

The division’s alert follows Wednesday's declaration of a global public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. The UN agency defines an international public health emergency as an “extraordinary event” that poses a serious public health risk.

“We have also asked concerned agencies and officials to step up surveillance measures and send people suspected to have contracted the virus to the National Public Health Laboratory for the test,” said Dr Yadu Chandra Ghimire, director of the division. “We also held a discussion with the representative of the UN health body in Nepal and other officials concerned about the potential risk of the mpox virus spreading.”

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. It is the second time since the UN health body declared mpox a global health emergency in two years, as the virus has spread alarmingly in the African continents and is at risk of entering other continents.

The WHO said that 524 people died and more than 14,000 cases of infection have been reported this year alone in Africa, which exceeded last year’s figure.

The mpox virus is transmitted through close contact such as sex, skin-to-skin contact, and the respiratory tract or mucous membranes.

Doctors say animal-to-human transmission often occurs through bites, scratches or direct contact with infected animals’ blood, body fluids or wounds. The virus causes flu-like symptoms.

Nepal had confirmed mpox infection in June last year after a 60-year-old foreigner tested positive for monkeypox infection.

Public health experts say that every disease seen in any corner of the world is possible to come to Nepal due to the high mobility of its own people and foreign tourists. They say it is relatively easier for people from any part of the globe to come to Nepal and that it increases the risk of any disease seen in any part of the globe arriving in Nepal.

“We cannot keep repeating the same mistake. When Covid spread in China, we thought that since we did not have a direct flight from disease-hit areas, the chance of the disease spreading to Nepal was low, but this proved to be wrong,” said Dr Shrawan Kumar Mishra, director at the provincial Public Health Laboratory of Madhesh Province. “Many people from our country travel to Africa, and our UN peacekeepers also serve there and return home. Anyone coming back from disease-hit countries must be kept in isolation for three weeks.”

Experts say screening at the health desks of international airports and land crossings alone is not enough to prevent a possible outbreak of monkeypox in the country since symptoms usually appear between five and 21 days after infection. Moreover, not everyone will have visible symptoms on their skin or limbs. They say that asymptomatic persons can also transmit the virus.

Symptoms of the mpox virus include fever, headache, swelling, body pains, exhaustion, and itchy rashes on the face, hands, and feet.

As the disease primarily spreads through close person-to-person contact, public health experts recommend self-isolation and good hygiene to avoid it.

Doctors say that even though monkeypox infection is usually mild and most people recover within weeks, the authorities concerned should not underestimate the risks.

Globally, more than 87,000 cases and 112 deaths from monkeypox were reported in 2022, according to the WHO

The UN health body said it is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential vaccine donations and coordinating with partners through the interim Medical Countermeasures Network to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other tools.