A resident of the province of Buenos Aires consulted today at a health care provider in the City of Buenos Aires with symptoms compatible with monkeypox because he has pustules on different parts of the body and fever. The patient, who is in good general condition, isolated, and receiving symptomatic treatment, has a history of travel to Spain, the country where he was from April 28 to May 16, 2022.
To carry out the follow-up and investigation, samples were taken for etiological diagnosis, which are being analyzed at the National Reference Laboratory INEI-ANLIS Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán.
While the results are awaited, a work table was formed with the province of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, to coordinate clinical, diagnostic and epidemiological actions in order to confirm or rule out the case, provide adequate clinical care and implement all focus control measures to prevent possible transmission.
It should be noted that since the international notification of the first cases of this disease in non-endemic countries, a work team was formed in the Ministry of Health of the Nation with the objective of initiating surveillance of the new event and generating specific recommendations for health teams and the population.
As of yesterday, the World Health Organization reports the notification of 28 laboratory-confirmed cases and 12 suspected cases of monkeypox in 12 non-endemic countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States). In these cases, a history or link with endemic areas has not yet been confirmed. The extent of community transmission is still unclear at this stage and therefore there is a possibility of identifying more cases. However, it should be noted that monkeypox virus is considered to have moderate human-to-human transmissibility.
The West African variant of monkeypox has so far been identified in confirmed cases by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing of vesicular samples. Transmission between sexual partners, due to intimate contact during sexual intercourse with infectious skin lesions, appears to be the likely mode of transmission. Given the unusually high frequency of person-to-person transmission seen in this event, and the likely community transmission with no history of travel to endemic areas, the likelihood of further spread of the virus through close contact, for example during sexual activities , is considered high. The probability of transmission between individuals without close contact is considered low.
Recommendations for the population
Any person who presents compatible symptoms (especially rashes) and a history of travel to areas where there are cases and/or poses some risk exposure with suspected, probable or confirmed cases, must take social isolation measures (not going to school, work , social events, etc.), implement respiratory protection measures (proper use of a mask, ventilated environments and distance from other people) and consult with the health system immediately.
Close contact with infected people is the most important risk factor for infection with the virus.
Exposure to a case is considered if:
– Has presented exposure without respiratory protection (particularly relevant for health workers).
– Direct physical contact, including sexual contact.
– Contact with contaminated materials such as clothing or bedding.
If a person has had risky contact with a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox during the infectious period, from the onset of symptoms of the case until all the scabs of the skin lesions have fallen, the following precautions must be observed:
- Check your temperature twice a day.
- As long as you remain asymptomatic, you can continue with routine daily activities, but you must remain close to home for the duration of surveillance.
- Strict clinical-sanitary follow-up will be carried out for 21 days from the last contact with the case
- If the person develops a rash, they should be isolated and evaluated as a suspected case, and a sample should be collected for laboratory analysis to detect monkeypox.
- You should not donate blood, cells, tissues, organs, breast milk, or semen while under surveillance for symptoms.
- In the case of preschool children, it is recommended to avoid them going to daycare centers or other group settings.