Morocco Unveils National Monkeypox Prevention and Response Plan

The Directorate of Epidemiology and Disease Control, affiliated with the Ministry of Health, which coordinates the protocol, has unveiled the various measures taken to deal with monkeypox, in particular prevention to counter the entry of the disease into the national territory, early detection of cases and the course of action to be taken.

Thus, according to the operational response plan, any person presenting a skin rash, vesicular or vesiculopustular, with a fever above 38°C is considered a probable case. On the other hand, a confirmed case is defined as a probable case in whom infection with the monkeypox virus has been confirmed by molecular technique in the laboratory.

The document also stresses that any person who has had unprotected direct physical contact with the injured skin or biological fluids of a probable or confirmed symptomatic case, whatever the circumstances, is treated as a high-risk contact.

In all cases, the note specifies, any suspected or probable case must be immediately reported to the provincial/prefectural health authority to which the health facility (public or private) where the doctor has mentioned the diagnosis belongs.

Furthermore, the ministry has specified the conditions for the management of the various cases. Thus, any suspected person must benefit from a medical consultation with an in-depth interview and clinical examination to possibly reclassify him. The individual must self-isolate at home for three weeks with twice-daily temperature monitoring.

The Provincial/Prefectural Rapid Intervention Team (EIR) must establish regular telephone monitoring to verify the absence of symptoms of the disease. In the event of fever or rash, a contact person must not go to a health facility, but their care will be organized by the EIR, the note concludes.