Eight new cases of monkeypox in the country were confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MINSA) with these Panama reports a total of 56 accumulated cases, according to information provided by the Department of Epidemiology.
As of November 29, of the 56 cases, 34 are active, indicating that 22 people have overcome the disease. Of these 34 active cases, 8 are in isolation in a health facility and 26 cases are in home isolation.
The new cases correspond to the male sex between the ages of 19 to 59 years and the common risk is a history of having intimate contact with other men.
The authorities highlighted that those infected come from various areas of the country, with the metropolitan health region being the one with the most infections with 39 cases; from Panama West seven (7); San Miguelito seven (7); Panama North two (2) and Panama East one (1) case.
These patients were clinically evaluated with samples taken for analysis at various health facilities: Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital, Santo Tomás Hospital, Irma de Lourdes Tzanetatos Hospital, San Miguel Arcángel Hospital, Dr. Carlos Brin Polyclinic, Santiago Barraza Polyclinic, JJ Vallarino Polyclinic, Río Abajo Health Center, Guillermo Lewis Health Center, Rómulo Roux Health Center, Artemio Jaén Health Center, Boca La Caja Center, Nuevo Veranillo Health Center, Santa Ana Health Center, Tocumen Health Center.
The samples were sent to the Gorgas Memorial Institute where they were processed, giving positive results with monkeypox, so the regional health teams immediately carried out field investigations in order to determine the close contacts of these cases and offer them vaccination. against monkeypox to break the chain of virus transmission and the spread of the disease.
For its part, the Expanded Immunization Program (PAI) reports that, to date, 25 doses of vaccine against monkeypox have been applied in the following regions: 18 doses in the Metropolitan Health Region; five (5) in West Panama; one (1) in Chiriquí and one (1) in San Miguelito.
Since last May 24, Panama has maintained a health alert throughout the country and epidemiological surveillance has been redoubled in all health regions and all points of entry into the national territory.
MINSA recalls that the transmission of monkeypox is spread from person to person, it can be caused by skin lesions, from one infected person to another, respiratory and body fluids; and also through infected clothing or any surface that has been in contact with the lesions.
Likewise, it is reminded that people maintain healthy lifestyles, avoid contagion through safe sex and maintaining self-care measures.
