First Case of Mpox Reported in Kosovo Region of Serbia
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Belgrade, Dec 27 (NationPress) A 30-year-old male who recently returned from West Africa has been identified as a new case of mpox in Serbia on Friday. This case is significant as it is the first confirmed instance of mpox in the Kosovo region, according to the regional Institute of Public Health.
The institute reported that the patient was hospitalized on December 24, displaying symptoms such as fever, chills, and skin lesions on his face and hands. His condition is currently stable.
Health authorities have successfully traced all close contacts of the patient and have implemented infection control guidelines to mitigate any potential transmission, the institute indicated.
Serbia confirmed its first mpox case back in June 2022. The World Health Organization continues to classify the mpox outbreak as a public health emergency, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
In August, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicated that Europe might see an increase in imported cases of mpox, although the likelihood of sustained transmission within Europe remains very low.
The latest surveillance report from the ECDC, released this month, noted that Germany reported a cluster of four mpox cases on December 15, while Belgium confirmed its first case due to the mpox virus clade Ib on December 18, linked to an individual returning from one of the affected countries in Africa.
Mpox is an infectious disease that can result in various symptoms, including a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and fatigue. While most individuals recover fully, some may face severe illness.
This disease is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus within the Poxviridae family. This family also includes variola, cowpox, vaccinia, and other related viruses. The virus has two primary clades: clade I (with subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (with subclades IIa and IIb). Mpox primarily spreads between individuals through close contact with an infected person, particularly within households. Such close contact can include skin-to-skin interactions (like touching or sexual activity), as well as mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact (like kissing). Additionally, it can spread through face-to-face interactions, where breathing or speaking in proximity may generate infectious respiratory particles.
