The Spanish Ministry of Health reported this Friday on 23 new cases of monkeypox, which brings the number of infections to 30 in that country, all registered in the Spanish capital, while the United Kingdom updated the number of positives to 20 and health authorities of France, Italy and Germany confirmed the first cases in their respective territories from the disease that already affects at least twelve countries.
Spain
The National Microbiology Center (CNM) carried out PCR tests on samples of 23 patients suspected of suffering from monkeypox and all were positive, the Spanish health portfolio specified this Friday and remarked that “all of them correspond to people from Madrid”.
In this regard, Spanish specialists estimated that “in the coming days new cases will continue to emerge due to contagion chains underway since the end of April and not yet identified”.
France
Meanwhile, the French health authorities confirmed on Thursday the first case of this disease in a 29-year-old patient who “I had not traveled to a country where the virus circulates”and, after the positive result of the test, the man was isolated at his home in the Paris region.
The authorities identify your contacts to inform them how to act to limit the spread of the virus.
Germany
Likewise, the microbiology institute of the German armed forces assured that it detected the virus “in a patient who developed skin lesions”, one of the symptoms of the disease.
Italy
The Italian health authorities reported so far three cases of people infected with monkeypox, the first in a young man who had recently returned from the Canary Islands (Spain), indicated the Institute of Infectious Diseases of the Spallanzani Hospital in Rome.
United Kingdom
The British Minister of Health, Sajid Javid, confirmed this Friday through his official Twitter account, 11 new cases in the United Kingdom, so infections reach 20.
In the United Kingdom, unlike other countries, the first positive case of monkeypox was recorded in a person who had recently traveled to Nigeria, the rest of the infections occurred within the borders and, according to the British health security agency (UKHSA), “several” of the positives were people who identify as “gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men.”
The agency also assured that the virus not spread “easily” between people and the risk to the population is “low” and that the main symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue.
In addition to the countries mentioned, cases of monkeypox were reported in Portugal, Canada, United States, Sweden and Belgiumalong with some districts in Africa where the disease is endemic.
Specialists warned that no treatment for monkeypox, which is spread by contact with an infected person or their bodily fluids and clears up on its own.
For its detection, it is important to watch out for rashesoften on the face, which can spread to other parts of the body, including the genitals, before going through several stages, crusting and falling off.
