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The first case of Mpox infection in Iran during the 2022 outbreak
Ali Maleki1, Arash Arashkia2, Mohammad Hassan Pouriayevali3
1COVID-19 National Reference Laboratory (CNRL), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Introduction:
The unexpected outbreak of human Mpox infection beginning in some European countries that were non-endemic for Mpox stunned the world during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in May 2022. The re-emerging Mpox outbreak, which has a greater capacity for human-to-human transmission, was mainly due to traveling. In this paper, we describe the first case of the disease was observed in an Iranian woman infected by her husband who had a history of traveling to Canada.
Case Report:
The 34-year-old woman had flu-like syndrome with some skin rashes on her hand, finger, and arm. No antivirals were prescribed in this case, and supportive care was used to help her recover. RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing were used to analyze the sample from the oropharyngeal swab and the rash, and the results confirmed the Mpox infection.
Conclusions:
The risk of infectious disease outbreaks after COVID-19, such as Mpox, is of great importance, and health systems should be vigilant for timely identification and preparedness.
Insights
The first documented case of Mpox in an Iranian woman, infected by her traveling husband, highlights the global spread of this re-emerging infectious disease. Health systems must remain vigilant for timely identification and preparedness against outbreaks like Mpox.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- The global emergence of human Mpox (formerly monkeypox) cases in non-endemic countries, starting in May 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Increased human-to-human transmission capacity of the re-emerging Mpox virus, facilitated by international travel.
- The need to document and understand Mpox transmission dynamics in diverse geographical and demographic contexts.
Observation:
- Description of the first Mpox case identified in an Iranian woman.
- The patient presented with flu-like symptoms and characteristic skin rashes on her extremities.
- Transmission occurred within a household, with the index case being her husband who had recently traveled internationally.
Findings:
- Diagnostic confirmation of Mpox infection using RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing on oropharyngeal and rash samples.
- The case involved a 34-year-old woman with no prior history of Mpox.
- Supportive care was administered, and no antiviral treatments were prescribed during her recovery.
Implications:
- Emphasizes the global risk of infectious disease outbreaks, including Mpox, in the post-COVID-19 era.
- Highlights the critical importance of robust health system surveillance for early detection and response to emerging pathogens.
- Underscores the need for preparedness strategies to manage and contain outbreaks of diseases with pandemic potential.
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