The Lebanese Minister of Health, Firas Al-Abyad, assured that “Lebanon has so far been spared from infection with the monkeypox virus, but precaution is a duty, especially during the period when travel between countries increases.”
Al-Abyadh told “Sky News”: “With regard to bacterial epidemic diseases, we adhere to the procedures required by the World Health Organization in terms of preparing isolation places and other special procedures, just because a complaint is received regarding any infection.”
Mikhbat explained to “Sky News” the reasons for the transmission of infection, saying: “It is transmitted through respiratory droplets at a close distance, that is, less than one meter, and through direct skin contact with smallpox granules that appear.”
He explained that the reasons that led to the emergence of infection in the infected people were having sexual relations with people infected with the virus.
He stressed that “sexual relations are not the cause of infection with the virus, but rather the reason for its transmission from an infected person to an uninfected person.”
He added, “This virus may also be transmitted through contaminated tissues such as clothes, bed linen and towels.”
Mukhbat explained that “this virus infects monkeys and rodents, and rarely infects humans, except in the case of exposure to skin symptoms in animals.”
He continued, “The incubation period for this virus in an infected person is between 5 days and 3 weeks without any symptoms, and during this stage, the virus is not transmitted and infection is not carried out except when symptoms appear, which are high body temperature, pain in the muscles and head, and a skin mutation consisting of Vesicles containing a tiny amount of fluid filled with viruses.”
Mukhbat did not deny the risk of deaths due to the virus, explaining that “the death rate from monkeypox ranges between 3.5 to 10 percent, especially among newborns, the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases such as immunodeficiency.”
treatment
Mukhbat explained that there is currently no treatment for the monkeypox virus, and the vaccine once morest smallpox may provide sufficient protection, but this vaccination stopped in children in 1972, and the last natural infection was announced in 1977 in Somalia, when the world’s victory over the epidemic was announced. .
He added that no people received his vaccine following this date, and it is known that the protection available from the smallpox vaccine may extend to monkeypox, as these two viruses are of the same species.
He continued, “The monkeypox virus is different from the normal chickenpox virus that is spreading in our country, and this still exists, and the vaccines once morest it are effective, but it is a simple disease and has nothing to do with the monkeypox virus that appeared recently.”
Regarding the reason for the transmission of the virus to Britain, Mukhbat expected that “a monkey that was carrying the virus from Africa to Britain, or through people who came from Africa, would be transmitted, as this virus is endemic to a number of tropical African countries, and it may have been transmitted from one person to another through hugging.” kissing and sexual intercourse.
As for the possibility of the virus being transmitted to Lebanon, Mukhbat stressed the “necessity of monitoring, raising awareness, and monitoring those coming from countries that have reported cases, and if a person shows symptoms of a rash, he must be isolated.”
Mukhbat pointed out that “there is no risk of infection if the virus infected the person and he was in the incubation stage, and if a relationship is declared with a person infected with this disease, he is contacted daily and raised awareness to ensure the appearance of symptoms that require the doctor to isolate the person and follow him medically.”
He revealed that he gave directions to the Directorate of Prevention at the Ministry of Public Health to take measures, whether through ports, especially Rafic Hariri International Airport, or through examination in clinics with infectious disease doctors.
What is monkeypox?
And bacterial disease doctor Professor Jacques Mukhbat said, “There is no danger to Lebanon at the present time from the monkeypox virus,” but he expected “some of these cases to come to Lebanon, especially following a few cases of it appeared recently in Britain, Spain, France and other European countries.” and in the United States of America and Canada.
