Health Alert: CDC Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Monkeypox (August 3, 2022)
Location: Guatemala
Event: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Monkeypox in Multiple Countries. The World Health Organization has determined the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (click here to view the WHO’s determination).
Guatemala has confirmed its first case of monkeypox, and several others are under investigation. The monkeypox virus is an infectious viral disease that is spread mostly through close, intimate contact with someone who has monkeypox. Symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough), a rash that may be located on or near the genitals or anus (but could also be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth).
Actions to Take:
- Close contact with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions.
- Contact with dead or live wild animals such as small mammals including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes).
- Eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using products derived from wild animals from Africa (creams, lotions, powders).
- Contact with contaminated materials used by sick people (such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings) or that came into contact with infected animals.
- Risk to the general public is low, but you should seek medical care immediately if you develop new, unexplained skin rash (lesions on any part of the body), with or without fever and chills, and avoid contact with others. If possible, call ahead before going to a healthcare facility. If you are not able to call ahead, tell a staff member as soon as you arrive that you are concerned about monkeypox.
- If you are sick and could have monkeypox, delay travel by public transportation until you have been cleared by a healthcare professional or public health officials.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Guatemala City, Guatemala
Website: https://gt.usembassy.gov/
Phone: (502) 2326-4000
Email: AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
Guatemala Country Information and Travel Advisory Page
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