Brazil registers 8th case of monkeypox, with patient from RJ who did not travel

The state of Rio recorded the second case of monkeypox in a 25-year-old patient who lives in Maricá, a city about 40 km from the state capital. With this, the number of cases of the disease in Brazil rises to eight.

Of the eight confirmed cases, four are from São Paulo, two from Rio Grande do Sul and two from Rio de Janeiro. The first case was registered on June 8 in São Paulo in a 41-year-old man who traveled to Spain and Portugal.

Another six cases are under investigation. According to the Ministry of Health, all patients are isolated and under monitoring.

In the second case registered in Rio, the patient had no history of travel abroad. However, he claims that he had contact with foreigners.

The folder says that the National Institute of Infectious Diseases Evandro Chagas, from Fiocruz, and the state and municipal health departments are monitoring the young man, who has a stable clinical condition.

“All containment and control measures were taken immediately after the communication that this was a suspected case of monkeypox [nome em inglês da doença]with the isolation of the patient and tracing of their contacts”, said in a note the Ministry of Health.

The Municipality of Maricá says that the patient sought care on his own at the institute, where he is in isolation. The municipal administration also says that the Health Surveillance Coordination is tracking and monitoring all the people with whom the patient had contact.

The first case of monkeypox in Rio was confirmed on Tuesday (14). This is a 38-year-old man, resident of London, who arrived in Brazil on June 11 and sought care at Instituto Evandro Chagas the day after his arrival.

After the case was confirmed, the Municipal Health Department began to monitor passengers who took the same flight as the patient. The folder also has the collaboration of the State Department of Health of Rio to carry out the monitoring.

Monkeypox is spread through close contact. Infection can be via the respiratory tract, but prolonged close face-to-face contact is required.

Another form of infection is through the blister-like sores that monkey pox causes on the skin. Sores are one of the symptoms of the disease, which also include fever and body aches.

Experts say the chances of monkeypox becoming a pandemic are slim because of the virus’s low transmission capacity. However, they say it is important to remain vigilant, with effective screening and diagnosis methods.