Health minister: No cases of Mpox detected in Turkey

The health minister has confirmed that there have been no reported cases of Mpox, also known as monkeypox, in Turkey. 

During an interview with Habertürk yesterday, Memişoğlu emphasized that the Mpox outbreak is not a new phenomenon, noting that the disease has been present in the Congo region for the past 20 years. 

He explained that the current strain, which reemerged in 2024, is known to spread more quickly through contact.

"So far, there have been no diagnoses related to this latest outbreak of Mpox in our country. We hope it remains that way," Memişoğlu said.

The minister also recalled that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency due to Mpox in July 2022, which remained in effect until May 2023. During that period, a few cases were reported in Europe and Turkey.

In response to the declaration last week, Turkey has taken all necessary precautions, including the establishment of a scientific advisory board, according to the minister. 

Memişoğlu also highlighted that scientific studies indicate those who received the smallpox vaccine before 1980 are 85% protected against Mpox. 

"Nearly everyone in our country was vaccinated against smallpox before 1980. Nevertheless, we are taking all necessary precautions. We have published a guide on our scientific board's recommendations, which is accessible on our website,” he said. (VK)