Brussels: Belgium became the first country in the world to make quarantine mandatory for monkeypox cases after four new cases were confirmed. Patients were required to have a 21-day quarantine.
Monkey pox is one of the most common types of smallpox. Symptoms include rash, fever, and headache. Monkey fever is less deadly than smallpox. The mortality rate is less than four percent. But health experts are concerned about the spread of the disease outside of Africa, where it is commonly found. The Belgian Institute of Tropical Medicine has said that the spread of the disease in Belgium is unlikely.
A fourth person in the country was diagnosed with the disease on Saturday. Authorities said the patient was being treated and had been in contact with two people who had previously been diagnosed with the disease.
The World Health Organization says a total of 92 cases have been confirmed so far in 12 countries. The WHO added that there were 28 other cases that had not been confirmed. Monkey pox has been confirmed in Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, the US, Canada and Australia.