New Variant of Monkey Pox Not

It’s a zoonotic disease, which means it can spread from animals to humans and from human to human when bodily droplets from an infected person are transmitted through open wounds, injuries and lesions. The World Health Organization has announced that a new variant of Monkey Pox has been identified, however, none of its variants have been detected in Belize. Today, Director of Public Health and Wellness, Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa said the advisory was given because of an upsurge of cases in the African region. Even though we are literally halfway around the world from each other, since air travel puts us one flight away, Belize’s health officials are on the alert at the points of entry.

 

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Director, Public Health & Wellness

“We ensure that our surveillance team and border teams are aware of this increase in cases of monkeypox. So the difference this time around is that monkeypox, they have identified a subvariant or a clad as we call it, subvariant 1-B. So this is the new subvariant that was identified in 2024, and this is the subvariant that’s spreading in the African regions. And for that reason, the notification to the public and the information is now being shared that there is a new subvariant, but you mentioned that in Mexico there is an issue, but official reports from Mexico shows that none of this new subvariant has been diagnosed in Quintana Roo or in any part of Mexico. Of course, Mexico has the original Mpox. They have forty-nine confirmed cases of the original variant, but none of this new subvariant.”