After the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal announced on Wednesday in turn that they had identified more than forty suspected or confirmed cases of monkey pox, a rare disease in Europe.
• Read also: Monkey pox in the UK: WHO wants to shed light
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that it wanted to shed light, with the help of the United Kingdom, on the cases of monkeypox detected in this country since the beginning of May, in particular in the homosexual community.
A total of twenty-three suspected cases of this viral disease (“monkeypox”), endemic to West Africa, have been identified in the Madrid region, local health authorities announced on Wednesday evening.
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Monkey pox
It is an uncommon disease, usually manifesting with fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash on the hands and face, like chicken pox, details a statement from the health authorities of the Madrid region. .
“Generally, transmission occurs through the respiratory route, but these 23 supposed cases of infection suggest that transmission took place through the mucous membranes during sexual intercourse”, specifies the document published on Twitter.
Those affected are experiencing “a positive course” of the disease and are isolated at home, it is added.
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Monkey pox
In Portugal, there are “more than 20 suspected cases (…) in the Lisbon region (west), among which five have been confirmed”, announced the General Directorate of Health of Portugal in a press release.
“These cases, for the majority of young people, all male, had ulcerative lesions,” said the health authority.
According to the Spanish and Portuguese authorities, which have triggered a national health alert, this rare disease is not very contagious between humans, has no treatment and is generally cured on its own.
Since May 6, seven cases have been identified in the UK, including four cases in people identifying as “gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men”, according to the UK Security Agency. health (UKHSA).
With the exception of the first case – the infected person had recently traveled to Nigeria – the patients were infected in the United Kingdom, raising fears of community transmission.