Argentine health officials announced on Wednesday that a crew member on a quarantined cargo ship, suspected of having the mpox virus, has tested negative.
The Indian national, who developed cyst-like skin lesions on his chest and face, was working on the ship travelling along a key commodities route near Rosario. As a precaution, authorities had quarantined the ship in the Parana River.
However, the health ministry revealed that the crew member’s test results showed he was negative for mpox, but positive for chicken pox.
This news comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, due to the rapid spread of a new variant in Africa. The clade 1b variant has raised concerns about its potential for easier transmission through close contact.
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