Guyana guarding against imported cases of Monkeypox, health officials at all ports of entry

With no cases of monkeypox in Guyana, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Monday said health officials at airports and other border points of entry are readily available and equipped to identify symptoms of the virus.

Trinidad and Tobago confirmed two cases of the virus recently, prompting Guyana’s political Opposition to issue a call for travel advisories to be put in place.

During an interview with reporters at the sideline of an event, Dr. Anthony said the Ministry of Health has staff with the capabilities to respond in the event that a person enters the country with monkeypox symptoms.

“We have activated our systems to ensure that if anyone comes with those types of symptoms we will be able to manage it.

“We do have surveillance at our airports and with the border at Brazil, the border with Suriname. We do have port control as well. The doctors work at these sites [and] we have a team that is there monitoring and if there is any suspicion then they will be able to alert the system and we can take precautions,” Dr. Anthony said.

Importantly, the Health Minister said that doctors underwent training to diagnose and treat the virus and were able to properly treat the two patients in Guyana last year. He also disclosed that after the ministry publicly announced and encouraged persons to be cautious of the virus in the country, many persons went to get tests conducted.

“I think it is good to put out information so people can be alerted and it is also helpful because if people see lesions they can come into us.

“When we put out information last year people came to us but they weren’t monkeypox cases but it was good that they were able to come in and check and put their minds at ease

“We have the capabilities to test and diagnose and to treat and we have persons with the expertise to do so,” Dr Anthony added.

Last Thursday, the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Narine Singh said that Guyana is still awaiting the delivery of 1,800 Monkeypox vaccines it ordered via the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in September last year.

A 57-year-old man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and a woman in her 30s, were infected with the virus here in August of last year. The patients were isolated and the local health authorities started the process of contact tracing and testing. The pair were eventually deemed non-infectious and sent home from the hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of July 4, 2023, 88,144 Monkeypox cases have been detected globally amongst 112 countries and there has been a total of 149 deaths.

The virus can range from mild disease to severe illness and is spread through close contact or through respiratory droplets.