By Laith Al-Jnaidi
AMMAN, Jordan (AA) - Jordan on Monday confirmed the first case of the infectious mpox virus in the kingdom.
According to a statement by the Health Ministry, laboratory tests confirmed the virus in a 33-year-old foreigner who is hospitalized in Amman, but in a stable condition.
The ministry said it will deal with full transparency any developments regarding the disease.
The WHO has classified the global mpox situation as a public health emergency of international concern. More than a dozen African countries have reported mpox outbreaks, with the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for over 90% of the reported cases.
The variant circulating in Africa is believed to be both more contagious and more deadly than the "clade II" variant, which was responsible for the global outbreak that began in 2022.
Mpox is a viral disease that spreads through close contact and contaminated materials such as sheets, clothing, and needles, according to the WHO.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar