Global alert: monkeypox is spreading in Europe and has reached the United States

Spain, Portugal and the United States confirmed the discovery first case of monkeypox in those countries. It is a rare disease that according to specialists does not spread easily between people, and was recently found in nine patients in the United Kingdom.

As announced by the Portuguese General Directorate of Health in a statement, this viral disease, endemic to West Africa, was identified in Portugal in “over 20 suspected cases in the Lisbon region, five of these have been confirmed.

“The cases, most young people, all are menhad ulcerative lesions, ”the health authority specified.

In the Madrid region, meanwhile, 23 suspected cases that they are pending the results of the tests, announced the regional Ministry of Health, which raises an initial balance of eight suspected cases.

“Because of the characteristics of 23 suspected cases of infection indicates that this is due to contact with mucous membranes during sexual intercourse“, the ministry reported in a statement.

Authorities of both countries have activated a national health alert for this disease it is not very contagious between people, has no treatment and is usually self -healing.

But the spread of the virus did not stop within the continent of Europe, but also reached North America. Is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of USA (CDC, for its acronym in English) confirmed this Wednesday the discovery of first infected with monkeypox in that country.

It was an adult male who recently traveled to Canada, the Massachusetts health department said in a statement.

The northeastern U.S. state health department conducted preliminary tests Tuesday for the disease, and later confirmed it was monkeypox.

This is the first case of monkeypox reported in the United States this year. In 2021, the states of Texas and Maryland each reported one case, along with patients who had recently traveled to Nigeria.

Nine cases in the UK

The United Kingdom has identified seven infections since last May 6, including four of people identifying themselves as “homosexual, bisexual or men having sex with men”, according to Britain’s health security agency (UK Health). Security Agency, according to its acronym in English.).

To these were added two more cases, one in London and another in the south-east of England, leading to 9 total cases.

“The virus is not usually easy to spread between people. The risk to the UK population remains low“said the agency.

With the exception of the first case – the infected person had recently traveled to Nigeria – the patients were infected in the United Kingdom, leading us to consider that the infections were due to community transmission.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that, with the help of the United Kingdom, it aims to clarify the detected cases, particularly in homosexual communities.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of monkeypox is similar to that of removed smallpox, though relatively mild – fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, chills and fatigue – and often have swollen glands and skin rashes, which start on the face and spread to other parts of the body, mainly to the hands and feet.

DB