Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic illness that is mostly found in tropical rainforests in Central and West Africa, although it can also be found in other parts of the world.
Italy, Sweden, Australia, and Canada have joined a growing list of countries with confirmed monkeypox cases, indicating a worldwide outbreak.
A case has been verified in Victoria, with another case in New South Wales being suspected (NSW).
A guy in his 30s became ill after returning from a trip to the United Kingdom earlier this week, according to Victoria’s Department of Health. He is in stable condition at The Alfred Hospital, with only minor symptoms.
A suspected case of monkeypox has also been discovered in a man in his 40s who recently returned from Europe.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) had also confirmed two cases of monkeypox in Quebec. Health authorities are investigating about 17 people for potential cases of the virus.
According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, a smallpox infection has been verified in the Stockholm area.
“The person in Sweden who has been confirmed to be infected with the virus is not seriously ill but has received care. We do not yet know where the person became infected. The investigation is ongoing right now,” said infection doctor and investigator Klara Sonden at the agency, in a statement.
According to local media, Italy has also confirmed a case in a young person who had recently returned from the Canary Islands.
The French Ministry of Health has confirmed that it is investigating a possible case in the Paris/Ile-de-France region.
The first case of monkeypox in the United States has been verified in a Massachusetts male. After sitting next to an infected passenger who had symptoms while on a trip from Nigeria to the UK in early May, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is monitoring six others in the country for probable monkeypox infections.
The first case of the disease was reported in the United Kingdom on May 7. According to the UK Health Security Agency, the patient had just traveled to Nigeria, where they are believed to have contracted the illness before arriving in England. There are already nine confirmed cases in the United Kingdom. The majority of them have been found in gay and bisexual guys.
Spain had previously revealed that it was looking into eight potential incidents involving gay and bisexual persons. Portugal said it was looking into more than 20 suspected cases, five of which were verified. A confirmed case has also been recorded in Northern Ireland.
The source of these diseases has not yet been determined, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), but instances appear to have been “locally acquired.”
In the instance of cases in the UK, viral transmission appears to have occurred through sexual contact between males who have sex with men, according to the European Infection Control Agency (ECDC).
“The infection is not considered highly contagious, but close contact is required for it to be transmitted. Sexual contact is a risk,” the ECDC said.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic illness that is mostly found in tropical rainforests in Central and West Africa, although it can also be found in other parts of the world.
Fever, enlarged lymph nodes, general malaise, and a rash with blisters are the most typical symptoms of monkeypox. Area issues have been found to be limited to the genitals, groin, and skin around the anal orifice in European cases.
The UKHSA has advised homosexual and bisexual men to be aware of any strange rashes or lesions and to seek medical help as soon as possible.
There is no vaccine approved for Monkeypox in Europe, but the US Food and Drug Administration had in 2019 approved a vaccine called Jynneos to prevent monkeypox infections, which also protects against smallpox.
Sweden plans to classify “smallpox as a generally dangerous disease”, and Spanish health authorities have reportedly purchased thousands of smallpox vaccines to deal with the outbreak, according to Spanish media.