Mpox Scare in Puerto Morelos Was Just Scabies

PUERTO MORELOS, Mexico — A suspected case of mpox, previously known as monkeypox, in the tourist zone of Puerto Morelos was ruled out after medical evaluation determined the patient was suffering from a common skin disease. The municipal emergency services responded to the initial report on Thursday evening, mobilizing resources and implementing infectious disease protocols before the diagnosis was clarified.

Emergency Response to Suspected Case

The incident began around 6:00 p.m. when emergency services attended to a person with apparent signs of mpox in the area of the Parque Fundadores, located in the tourist zone. Paramedics from a municipal ambulance applied the established protocols for such cases and transported the individual to the General Hospital in Cancún for further assessment.

Preliminary accounts from some local merchants indicated that the person who received aid was in a state of homelessness and commonly wandered in that part of the tourist area. The situation caused alarm among nearby merchants, who feared a potential contagion. This was initially reported as the first known case of a person with signs of mpox in Puerto Morelos.

Official Diagnosis and Resolution

Hours after the patient was admitted to the General Hospital, the Municipal Secretariat of Citizen Security of Puerto Morelos received the medical report that the illness was not mpox. The patient was instead diagnosed with scabies, a skin condition that leaves many marks.

High-level officials from the Municipal Secretariat of Citizen Security reported near midnight that it was not a case of mpox. The situation had been managed as a sanitary risk, with paramedics utilizing their personal protective equipment and masks to assist the ill person.

The General Hospital in Cancún applied its protocols for such cases, which included isolating the area where the patient was mobilized and subsequently sanitizing the emergency zone. The health authorities of the municipality did not issue any official pronouncement regarding this mobilization after rumors began to spread that a person with the possible disease had been transferred by ambulance.