Egypt has not detected any suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox, a rare viral infection, according to Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Population on Monday.
In press statements, Abdel Ghaffar said the ministry is closely following up on the epidemiological situation worldwide regarding monkeypox and other epidemic diseases.
Recent outbreaks of monkeypox have been witnessed in at least 11 countries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday, with 80 confirmed cases so far and 50 others pending investigation.
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 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 the 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 hands well with water and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitisers and use masks and gloves when providing care to people infected with the virus.
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