Rumors are circulating of the confirmed diagnosis of a patient with symptoms of Monkeypox or Monkeypox in Lebanon. A second probable case would also be announced.
For the time being, the Lebanese authorities deny any appearance of this virus in Lebanon and indicate that the exact diagnosis of the disease must be made by sending the samples taken abroad, for lack of tests available in the land of cedars.
This information comes as a case has also been confirmed in Israel or in several Arab countries.
Monkeypox (monkeypox in English) or simian orthopoxvirosis or Monkeypox virus infection thus succeeds the coronavirus which had already crossed the barrier between the species.
The disease can be severe in some cases, causing death in 1% (West African variant, no known human-to-human transmission until 2018) or 10% (Central African variant, possible human-to-human transmission) of patients in Africa, the mostly in children, who are more susceptible to disease, and immunocompromised people.
Most patients recover with proper care. Vaccination once morest human smallpox provides effective protection once morest infection, up to 85%. The two diseases can be confused and there is no definitive clinical diagnosis. Only laboratory analysis can determine the virus causing the infection.
Outside Africa, several epidemics have already affected humans, particularly in the USA in 2003 and in Israel in 2018.
