Public Health Expert Warns of Potential Mpox Entry into Nepal

Public health expert Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun has issued a warning about the potential entry of communicable diseases, including Mpox (monkeypox), into Nepal through international travel. Speaking at a health-related program in Kathmandu today, Dr. Pun emphasized that although Mpox is currently prevalent in Africa and European countries, it could arrive in Nepal at any time.

“There is no certainty that we will remain completely untouched by this pandemic,” Dr. Pun cautioned. He reassured the public, however, that medical experience suggests Mpox is not as deadly as COVID-19. Medically, Mpox is considered a skin infection, similar to chickenpox.

Mpox, a viral infection first detected in monkeys in 1958, was initially diagnosed in a human in 1970, in a nine-year-old boy in Congo. The disease has since spread to 40 countries worldwide. Dr. Pun’s warning underscores the importance of vigilance and preparedness in the face of global health threats.