The monkeypox virus is a viral infection that mainly occurs in West and Central Africa. The first symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, chills and exhaustion. A rash may develop, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.
For transmission between people, there must be close contact with an infected person, for example via saliva drops or skin-to-skin contact. So sex can be a way of spreading. But how it is that the rare virus now suddenly seems to be spreading more is still being investigated.
Steven Callens, professor of infectious diseases at UZ Gent, thinks it is a good thing to warn people who have varying sexual contacts. “We see that it is now more common in men who have sex with men. Raising awareness to exercise caution in the coming weeks and months could certainly help limit the number of cases,” he says in “The World Today.” “
The virus had already surfaced in the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Canada and the United States earlier this month. The RAG continues to monitor the situation and may adjust the rules in the coming days. The group consists of experts from the different administrations of the regions, the health institute Sciensano and the Institute of Tropical Medicine.