The rapid spread of the so-called has caused a global alarm smallpox of monkeys. Outbreaks of monkey pox, which is endemic to West Africa, have been reported in Britain, Portugal, Australia, Italy, Canada and the United States.
The smallpox of monkeys is a rare, infectious diseasesimilar to the human smallpox that was eradicated in 1980. Although it is milder and most patients recover within a few weeks, in rare cases it can be fatal.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue. Patients may also develop skin rashes, which often start on the face and spread to other parts of the body, including the genitals.
According to scientific community, there is no cure for avian pox, which is transmitted through contact with an infected patient or body fluids, including saliva. The disease usually resolves on its own.
This unusual disease usually occurs with fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes on the hands and face, such as chickenpox.
EODY: There is no case of smallpox in monkeys in Greece
In our country no suspected case of monkey pox has been recorded so far, states however in its announcement, the National Agency for Public Health (ΕΟΔΥ), which is on alert and closely monitors the development of cases in collaboration with European public health bodies, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
EODY emphasizes that based on the epidemiological data so far the risk to the general population is lowwhile the disease is usually mild and self-limiting, with relatively low transmissibility. However, citizens are advised to follow the instructions of their doctors in case of a rash or unusual skin damage.
ECDC report next week
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) plans to publish its first risk assessment report “early next week”, said the European Union body responsible for diseases and epidemics.
The agency, which says it is “closely monitoring the situation”, recommends “isolating and controlling suspicious cases and reporting them in a timely manner”.
Dozens of suspected or confirmed cases of smallpox in monkeys have been identified since early May in Europe and North America, raising fears that the disease could begin to spread.
Britain: Cases more than double
Britain which reported cases for the first time since May 6, raised the total number of people infected to nine on Wednesday afternoon. Another 11 cases of smallpox are expected to be announced later in the day by the UK Health Insurance Agency, according to the Times.
So far most of the nine incidents have been identified in London. All but one of the first patients to travel to Nigeria, where the disease is endemic, are believed to have been infected on British soil, a development that has been described as “unusual”.
The report notes that the sharp increase in cases has caused concern in the British government that the virus that causes the disease is spreading in the country without being detected.
Spain: At 21 confirmed cases
Outbreaks appear to be exacerbated during childhood and adolescence in Spain.
The Iberian country announced today 14 more confirmed cases of smallpox in monkeys, bringing the total number of cases to 21, the regional health authorities of Madrid pointed out. Five cases have been identified in Portugal.
Italy: Three cases
The Lazaro Spalaccani Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Rome and the outskirts of the Italian capital have announced that a total of three cases of smallpox have been diagnosed in the country. According to Italian scientists, the two new cases are connected with the “zero patient” who was diagnosed positive yesterday, Thursday, after his return from the Canary Islands.
“This form is characterized by milder symptoms than traditional smallpox. “It should not be an alarm, but we should be careful,” said Francesco Vaia, director of Spalanzani Hospital. He added that, according to the data so far, those who have been vaccinated against smallpox are not at risk, but this does not mean at the moment that a new mass vaccination will take place.
Belgium: Two cases of monkey blessing
Shortly after the announcement that the first case of smallpox was recorded in Belgium, a second case was announced.
The second case of smallpox was recorded in Brabant, Belgium, according to virologist Mark Van Ranst.
“A second case was diagnosed last night (Thursday) in our laboratory in Louvain on a sample of a man from the Flemish region of Brabant,” said Mark Van Ranst. The first case was detected in Antwerp.
Australia: Two cases
Two cases of smallpox have been confirmed so far in Australia, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney. The 2 male patients, about 30 and 40 years old, are travelers who have recently returned to the country, show mild symptoms and are in isolation.
Two confirmed cases in Canada
The first two confirmed cases of smallpox in the country were announced yesterday by the Public Health Service of Canada, while the Quebec authorities are investigating 17 suspicious cases.
“Today the province of Quebec was informed that two samples taken by the National Microbiological Laboratory were found to be positive in monkey pox. “These are the first two confirmed cases in Canada,” the Public Health Service of Canada (PHAC) said in a statement.
The first case in the USA
The first case of smallpox was found yesterday in the United States and more specifically in Massachusetts. A patient is an adult man, who has been isolated in the General Hospital of the northeastern state of the USA.
Officials say there is no risk to public health at the moment, but the disease could be severe. At the same time, they are working to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patient.
Germany: The first case was identified
Germany has detected the first case of smallpox in monkeys, the medical service of the German Armed Forces announced today.
“The German Armed Forces Institute of Microbiology in Munich has now unequivocally identified the first smallpox virus in Germany on 19 May 2022 in a patient with characteristic skin ulcers,” the Bavarian Patient Office said in a statement.
Sweden: A case
A first confirmed case of smallpox in monkeys has been detected in Sweden, health officials said on Thursday.
“A case of smallpox in monkeys has been confirmed in a person in the Stockholm area,” the Swedish Public Health Service said in a statement.
The infected person “is not seriously ill, but has received treatment”, the authority explains, saying that they do not yet know where and how the infection occurred. The authority “is now investigating with regional infection control centers to find out if there are more cases in Sweden,” he said.
First confirmed case in France as well
A first confirmed case of monkey pox was detected yesterday in the Ile-de-France region, the General Directorate of Health announced today of France.
He is a 29-year-old man with no previous trip to a country where the virus is circulating, the health authorities clarified.
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