Argentina’s Health Ministry is investigating its first suspected case of monkeypox in the country, a government statement said Sunday (22).
In a statement, the ministry said a resident of Buenos Aires province contacted the health service with symptoms “compatible with monkeypox.”
The patient presented with small sores on various parts of the body and fever, and has just returned from a trip to Spain, a country where a small outbreak of this infection has been detected.
Also according to the health declaration, the infected person is in good condition, is in isolation and is being treated for symptoms.
More cases will follow
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it hopes to identify more cases of monkeypox as countries that don’t typically have the disease step up surveillance.
As of Saturday, 94 cases had been confirmed and 28 suspected cases of smallpox had been reported in 15 countries that are not endemic to the virus, the UN health agency said.
“The available information suggests that humantohuman transmission occurs between individuals in close physical contact with symptomatic cases,” WHO added.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild and endemic to parts of West and Central Africa.
It is spread through close contact and is relatively easy to contain through measures such as isolation and sanitation.
- headache
- body pain
- swollen lymph nodes
- fatigue
- Rashes on hands and feet.