The Epidemiological Surveillance of the Municipal Health Department of Macaé, in northern Rio de Janeiro, investigates the case of a 43-year-old man with suspected monkeypox (monkeypox). He works on an oil platform in the Campos Basin and returned last Wednesday (8) with symptoms of the disease. In a note, the Health Department of Macaé informs that “it awaits the issuance of the technical report of the tests carried out by the molecular virology laboratory of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) on samples collected from patients”.
The man is not a resident of Macaé, but remains hospitalized in a private hospital in the municipality, after disembarking from an oil platform. “The forecast is that the diagnosis will be released this Monday (13). Patient samples are also being analyzed by the Noel Nutels Central Laboratory (Lacen), of the State Health Department”.
The note also says that the patient’s health status is stable. “The hospitalization follows as an isolation protocol until the diagnosis is closed”. The Epidemiological Surveillance of Macaé clarifies that there is no other suspected case under investigation in the city.
The State Department of Health, through the Strategic Information Center for Health Surveillance, confirms this information. “Complementary exams, recommended by the Ministry of Health to complete the evaluation of the case, are in progress”, he highlighted.
In a note, the state surveillance informs that “it is supporting the municipal surveillance of Macaé in monitoring. So far, there is no case of monkeypox confirmed in the state”.
In May, the Center for Strategic Information on Health Surveillance sent a warning to the municipal health departments advising on the detection and monitoring of possible cases of the disease. The measure aims to ensure that municipal and state surveillance are notified of possible cases and can monitor the evolution of the disease.
Streaming
Monkeypox is a viral disease and human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through personal contact with respiratory secretions, skin lesions from infected people, or recently contaminated objects.
The disease causes rashes that usually develop on the face and then spread to other parts of the body, including the genitals. Recently detected cases showed a preponderance of lesions in the genital area.
The rash goes through different stages and may look like chickenpox or syphilis, before finally forming a crust, with subsequent healing. When the crust disappears, the person stops infecting others. The incubation period is 6 to 16 days, but can be as long as 21 days.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, lymph node enlargement, chills, and exhaustion. In case of suspicion of the disease, the patient must be isolated until the complete disappearance of the lesions. Treatment is based on supportive measures, with the aim of relieving symptoms, preventing and treating complications and sequelae.
Sao Paulo
Today (11), the São Paulo Health Department confirmed the second case of monkeypox, in the state. The disease was detected in a 29-year-old man, who is isolated at his residence in Vinhedo, in the interior of the state.
The case is considered imported, because the man has a history of traveling to Portugal and Spain.
