After United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal announced that they also have identified cases of monkeypox, a rare disease in Europe, with five confirmed and more than twenty suspects.
The World Health Organization (OMS) announced on Tuesday that wants to clarify with the help of the United Kingdom, cases of monkeypox detected since the beginning of May, especially among the homosexual community.
Endemic to West Africa, this viral disease has also been identified in Portugal in “more than 20 suspected cases, in the Lisbon region (west), five of which were confirmed“, announced the Portuguese General Directorate of Health in a statement.
“The cases, most of them young, all male, had ulcerative lesions,” said the health authority.
In Spain they have already identified eight suspected cases that “they must still be confirmed” by analysis, according to the Spanish Ministry of Health.
According to the authorities of both countries, who activated a national health alert, this rare disease is not very contagious between humans, has no treatment and generally heals itself.
Its symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and fatigue. Skin rashes can also appear, especially on the face, and spread to other parts of the body.
The United Kingdom identified seven cases since last May 6including four in people who identify as “gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men,” according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Except for the first case, the infected person had recently traveled to Nigeria, the patients were infected in the UK, raising fears of community transmission.
ATC
