Health
Monkeypox: Which Countries Have Reported The First Monkeypox Cases?
(CTN News) – An outbreak of the rare and potentially dangerous monkeypox has been confirmed in the United States after some infections were reported across Europe. A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in the US in a man from Massachusetts who recently returned from Canada, officials reported earlier Wednesday. After spending last Thursday in an airborne infection isolation room, the patient has been hospitalized and is in stable condition.
Dr Erica Shenoy told CNN that the patient is doing quite well now, though he had symptoms that required his hospitalization. Despite this, Biddinger said they are not sure how the man got infected but added that historically, this is a very rare disease, with a very rare transmission. We have seen something new in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Europe, and that gives us a reason for concern, but I think people should not be afraid of monkeypox right now.”
Which countries have reported Monkeypox cases?
On May 13, the UK notified the WHO that it had confirmed at least two laboratory cases and one probable case of monkeypox. These cases were all among members of the same family.
The United Nations (UN) health body reports that the probable cause is also epidemiologically related to the two confirmed cases and has fully recovered. In the UK, the first case was diagnosed on May 5 and admitted on May 6. On May 12, the first monkeypox case in the UK was confirmed.
The number of cases in London and northeastern England has grown to seven, but only one was linked to travel outside of the country, according to health officials. Evidence suggests that the rare disease is spreading in the local community, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The WHO noted that the West African clade of monkeypox was identified in the two confirmed cases by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) on vesicle swabs on May 12 and 13. Four additional monkeypox cases have been reported in the Western African clade of the virus on May 15.
The US confirmed its first case of monkeypox on May 18, and officials have also warned that the pathogen could potentially spread outside the UK. Spain is one of two other European countries with suspected and confirmed cases.
At least eight monkeypox cases are being investigated in Spain, and Portugal has confirmed five cases with dozens more suspected cases.
Although there is no clear reason for monkeypox to travel to different European countries, the cases are associated with prolonged human-to-human contact or international travel.
Note that the US case is the first so far this year, but it follows scattered cases in Europe including seven in the UK and others scattered in Portugal and Spain.
Health officials in Canada are also investigating up to 13 cases in Montreal, according to reports.
