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| Credit Nigeria CDC - Epi Week 37 |
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Last month the UK reported 2 imported cases of Monkeypox via travelers from Nigeria (see Eurosurveillance Rapid Comms: Two cases of Monkeypox imported to the UK)- plus one secondary infection of a hospital worker.
A week ago the WHO published a Monkeypox Update & Risk Assessment - Nigeria, acknowledging low levels of transmission in the region.Today, the Israeli MOH is reporting an imported case - again from Nigeria - who is currently in home isolation.
(translation)
A patient with monkeypox was diagnosed at Shaare Zedek Hospital
Diseases, and public health
Date published:
12/10/2018 13:00
The Ministry of Health received a report from Shaare Zedek Medical Center and the laboratory that diagnoses a monkeypox patient.
He is an Israeli who lives and works in the Port Harcourt area of southern Nigeria (an endemic region). The man got sick about a week after his return and was diagnosed today according to his clinic and after my laboratory approval. He is in good condition and in an improvement, and is currently in isolation in his home.
Monkeypox belongs to a group of smallpox diseases that can occur in different species and resemble chickenpox in essence but with different wounds in nature.
This is a viral disease characterized by fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue, with a typical rash up to 3 days later. The disease usually lasts 2 to 4 weeks and passes by itself without treatment. The disease is transmitted between animals and is generally not contagious from one person to another.
The Ministry of Health takes the necessary actions to monitor and treat.
In the fall of 2017, Nigeria saw their first confirmed Monkeypox outbreak in nearly 40 years, resulting in more than 200 confirmed and suspected cases. While that outbreak was reportedly quelled in February, a small number of isolated cases have continued to be reported over the past 6 months.
Fortunately, the West African Monkeypox virus is considered to be less virulent, and less easily transmitted, than its Central African counterpart (cite).While Nigeria continues to report only low levels of infection (see Nigeria: CDC Monkeypox Update Epi Week 37), three cases cases exported from Nigeria in just over a month suggests the virus may be more active than believed.
