Argentina quarantines cargo ship over suspected mpox case

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Authorities in Argentina quarantined a cargo ship in the Parana River due to a suspected case of mpox disease.

The maritime agent representing the ship informed the border health officials that "one of its crew members of Indian nationality presents skin lesions of vesicular appearance predominantly on the trunk and face, compatible with symptoms of monkeypox, for which he was isolated from the rest of the crew," an Argentine Health Ministry statement said on Tuesday.

The statement said that the Liberian-flagged ship was about to sail from Santos, Brazil to the San Lorenzo Port in Argentina.

It added that the ship was anchored in the Parana River and quarantined.

On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox situation a "public health emergency of international concern."

Mpox is a viral disease that can spread through close contact as well as through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing and needles, according to WHO.