Brazil has reported a suspected case of mpox in the migration area of Sao Paulo airport

Health and sanitation regulator Anvisa announced on Monday that a suspected case of mpox has been reported at Brazil’s primary international airport, which is located near Sao Paulo.

A passenger who had been in a section of the airport that had been cordoned off for those waiting to request refugee status since earlier this month exhibited “signs and symptoms compatible with mpox,” according to Anvisa.
The agency did not specify the passenger’s country of origin or destination, despite the fact that they were subsequently transported to the hospital.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years earlier this month due to the rapid spread of a new variant of the virus in Africa.

Brazil’s health ministry reported that over 700 confirmed or probable cases of mpox have been documented in the country this year, although none of them are of the new variant.

According to Anvisa, there were no additional suspected cases. However, it did not specify whether the prospective case was of the new variant.

A spokesperson for the public defender’s office reported that as of Friday, over 650 migrants, primarily from India, Nepal, and Vietnam, were awaiting entry into Brazil through the Guarulhos airport. The spokesperson claimed that the migrants’ human rights were being violated and that their health was deteriorating.

Brazil’s government announced last week that it would implement stricter entry regulations to prevent the influx of foreign nationals who utilize Brazil as a transit point to reach the United States and Canada.

Anvisa stated in its Monday statement that it conducted a skin check and measured the temperature of the other passengers in the restricted area, in addition to instituting cleaning and disinfection procedures.