They investigate a possible second source of contagion of the monkey pox in Spain. He would have been a festival with 80,000 people on the island of Gran Canaria, Madrid, which is believed to have been attended by several positive cases identified in Madrid.
The festival “Gay Pride” It was held between May 5 and 15 in the town of Maspalomas, in the south of the island. So far, the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands confirmed that one of the two officially detected cases was actually present at the festival.
If new cases are confirmed, it will be the second source of contagion in Spain, following the spa and sauna “Paradise” which was closed in Madrid following it was confirmed that several of the first 30 cases of the disease had been there.
Canary government spokesmen stressed that “it is possible” that the event “has contributed to the transmission of the virus”, but stressed the importance of waiting for more official data regarding the seriousness of the matter.
Until now, the departments of Basque Country, Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Galicia They are investigating the first suspected cases, which have yet to be confirmed by the National Microbiology Center in Majadahonda, Madrid.
Also, countries like France, the United States, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Israel, and the United Kingdom They have already noticed the first cases of the disease in their territories. According to World Health Organization (WHO) there is already more than 80 confirmed cases of Monkeypox around the world, for which the application of a protocol began in the affected countries.
What is monkeypox?
Is a very rare zoonotic disease. The first human cases were identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. The number of cases in West and Central African countries has increased over the past decade.
Outside of Africa, cases of human infections have been documented in several countries, including the US, UK, Israel and Singapore. In all cases, it has been associated with an imported case or with contact with imported animals.
What are the symptoms of monkeypox?
Generally, people with this disease have fever, headache, muscle aches, lymphadenopathy and tiredness.
A few days following the onset of fever, a rash develops (a rash in reddish skin), which often begins on the face and then spread to other parts of the body. It is usually a self-limited illness, and most people recover within several weeks. However, in some cases serious illness can occur.
How monkeypox is transmitted
Monkeypox or MPX, as its scientific name, is known in the media as monkeypox. For now there is no vaccine or specific treatment available. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive, including prevention and treatment of secondary bacterial infections. It can be transmitted by contact, through saliva or by contact with wounds and scabs.
In addition, it is a rare zoonotic disease (that can be transmitted from animals to humans). The Spanish Ministry of Health assures that Monkeypox “is not considered particularly contagious between people. In general, person-to-person transmission is limited“.
