For the first time in Colombia, researchers from the University of Antioquia announced that they achieved isolate the virus that causes monkeypoxalso called ‘monkey pox’.
The next step is that the group of scientists will cultivate it, with the aim of analyze and obtain direct informationon the capacity of the virus.
Monkeypox is a virus that produces symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, swollen glands in the neck, armpit or groin, and skin lesions.
From the past July 23, 2022 The WHO declared the outbreak a a public health emergency of international importance.
In Colombia the virus managed to be isolated by researchers of the Immunovirology Group, attached to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Antioquia.
After the isolation of the viral infectious agent, the group of scientists will now cultivate it to obtain direct information on the ability of the virus to replicate and adapt to the human system, as well as to evaluate compounds with the potential to inactivate or inhibit it, and to evaluate the immune response generated by infection and vaccination.
This achievement was obtained following an alert by the director of the VID Clinical Laboratory, Doctor Santiago Estradaon a patient with lesions compatible with monkeypox, with whom samples were taken and sent to the Laboratory Department of Public Health of Antioquiainstitution in charge of official diagnosis by molecular techniques and to the laboratory in SIU, to attempt viral isolation.
According to the most recent report from the National Institute of Health (INS), in Bogotá, in just four days —between August 18 and 22—, it went from having 127 infected people to document 227.
In the world, according to data published on August 19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there had been reports 41,358 cases.
