Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the rapidly spreading Monkeypox a global health emergency, noting that Egypt has not detected any suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox so far.
In televised remarks, Abdel Ghaffar said that Coronavirus is a rapidly spreading disease, and the patient can transmit the infection to a larger number, but in the case of monkeypox, the disease requires close contact, and the patient is not contagious until after the appearance of blisters on the surface of the skin.
It is worth mentioning that, outbreaks of the zoonotic disease, which usually occurs primarily in Central and West Africa, were seen in a number of European countries, including France and Britain, as well as the US and Canada.
The reason for the recent outbreak is still not clear.
Monkeypox disease is usually self-limited – meaning it typically resolves itself without treatment – the WHO said, warning that severe cases may occur and that the fatality ratio due to the disease has been around three to six percent.
Symptoms of the disease, which usually last from two to four weeks, include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. The disease can be transmitted to people from other infected persons or animals.
Monkeypox is less contagious than notorious smallpox, which was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980, and causes less severe illness.
To prevent infection, the Egyptian health ministry advises people to not touch sick or dead animals that are found in places where monkeypox spreads.
People infected with the virus should be isolated and animals carrying the virus should be quarantined, the ministry said.
The ministry also urges people to wash their hands well with water and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizers and use masks and gloves when providing care to people infected with the virus.
Follow the latest news on Google News
