ALBAWABA - A clip went viral on social media showing a man, who was allegedly said to be infected with Monkeypox (Mpox) freely walking in the streets of Paris, France.
A video angered online users of a man, who many claimed to have Mpox, walking and showing his skin which was covered with pox. A person posted on X: "Is this Monkey Pox in France?"
French authorities have not confirmed a single case of the Mpox virus which the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared a public health emergency of international concern amid increasing cases in multiple countries.
The only cases discovered outside Africa were reported in Pakistan and Sweden. In Africa, over 17,000 cases were confirmed.
Despite that, the video caused wide controversy on social media with many lashing out at Paris authorities for letting the man wander freely amid fears of a new outbreak, France has not commented on the viral video.
Conversely, many others commented on the video saying that this is not Mpox but another disease. An X user said: "That looks like a skin condition- not M/pox. I’ve seen it somewhere before, just using this for click bait."
Another added: "That’s not Mpox! It’s a skin condition, I forget what it’s called."
Not monkey pox. pic.twitter.com/MOX9E2yDbL
— @AI_EmeraldApple (@AI_EmeraldApple) August 17, 2024
On the other hand, the X fact-check team noted that "The condition that is being displayed in the video is neurofibromatosis and not monkeypox."
It added that according to doctors the Mpox virus usually has a rash that looks like chicken pox where as "neurofibromatosis causes tumors to form along the nerves."
This comes as the Department of Health (DOH) Philippines announced on Monday the first case of the Mpox virus of a 33-year-old male with no travel history outside the country.
