The Ministry of Health is following developments and taking all necessary precautions against the monkeypox virus and said no cases of this virus have been detected in Kuwait.
The ministry announcement came in the face of more than 100 cases were reported in different parts of Europe, most of them believed to be among the homosexuals, reports a local Arabic daily.
The health sources indicated that “the vaccination against smallpox is among the basic vaccinations in the country,” noting that “scientific reports confirm that it is 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox.”
The same sources pointed to the specialists’ assertion that “monkey pox differs from the Corona virus, as its symptoms are very visible, makes it easier to trace contact with infected people and isolate them, and the current smallpox vaccine can help protect it if necessary, and therefore no scientists expect the infection to develop into a pandemic like Covid-19, because the disease does not spread as easily as (SARS-Cove-2.”
For his part, Dr. Martin Hirsch of Massachusetts General Hospital said, “Covid spreads through the respiratory system and is highly contagious. This does not appear to be the case with monkeypox.”
Monkeypox is a rare disease that mainly appeared in remote areas of central and western Africa near tropical forests that are characterized by rain, but a number of countries in the world announced the registration of infections with it, as its symptoms are fever, muscle pain, enlarged lymph glands, and rashes on the hands and face.
The list of countries that have reported cases of the disease so far includes Canada, the United States of America, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia, Italy, Sweden, Belgium and Israel.
The World Health Organization had announced, recently, that it was working closely with a number of European countries that had reported cases of the disease.
5 basic information about monkeypox
1 – It is a rare viral disease of zoonotic origin, belonging to the smallpox virus family
2 – Since 1970, cases of infection have been recorded in 11 African countries, and a large outbreak has been recorded in Nigeria since 2017
3 – Symptoms of human infection are similar to those witnessed in the past by patients with smallpox
4 – It infects wild animals in Africa, and is transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or people and things used by infected people through body fluids, touching blisters and their skin lesions, and droplets caused by breathing, through clothing, towels and bed sheets, or by having sex with a person virus carrier
5 – Scientists say that the virus does not spread in the air, but the infection is transmitted if the patient is very close to the other person’s face.
3 signs and symptoms
1 – The incubation period for “monkeypox”, which is the interval between the stage of infection and the onset of symptoms, ranges between 6 and 16 days, but it can range from 5 to 21 days.
2 – Symptoms include fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
3 – There is no specific vaccine for it, and it can only be diagnosed definitively in the laboratory.
6 ways to prevent
1 – Imposing restrictions or bans on the trade and transfer of mammals from countries where the disease is endemic
2 – Avoiding physical contact with infected persons
3 – Wearing gloves and protective equipment when caring for patients
4 – Washing hands regularly after caring for or visiting patients
5 – Good cooking of all animal products
6 – Isolation of infected patients
The sources said the infected people usually recover within weeks. As with other smallpox viruses, the disease is more severe in children and people with weakened immune systems.
In the past, vaccination against smallpox was proven to be 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox but there are effective drugs and vaccines that can be used when necessary.
According to the Spanish newspaper, El Pais, the government has purchased a large batch of chickenpox vaccines to avoid the spread of the disease among people.
British authorities have announced that they have vaccinated some health care workers and others at risk of infection with the smallpox vaccine.
The British Health Security Agency revealed that the spread of the disease was noticeably among homosexuals and bisexuals, in both the United Kingdom and Europe, while the Directorate of Public Health of the regional government of Madrid indicated that the majority of cases were linked to a ‘sauna’ bath frequented by homosexuals.
The number of confirmed cases of the disease has exceeded 80 in at least 12 countries, while the World Health Organization said that 50 other suspected cases of “monkeypox” are currently being investigated.
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