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According to health institute Sciensano, it is also possible that an infection with the monkeypox virus has an atypical clinical picture. “It concerns only one skin injury or no skin lesions, and, for example, only anal pain and bleeding,” it sounds in a new guideline for healthcare providers on Tuesday.
Bron: BELGIAN
In Belgium, 482 confirmed cases of monkey pox have already been reported. Typically, an infected person will first experience mild symptoms, such as fever, headache, or muscle aches, and then a rash will appear one to three days later. In the current epidemic, the rash appears mainly in the genital area. But Sciensano emphasizes that atypical presentations are also possible.
Given the increasing number of cases and the importance of making a diagnosis as quickly as possible, from now on a patient should no longer always be referred to a specialized hospital or an STI/HIV reference center. In total, people in Flanders can go to almost 30 hospitals to take a sample and GPs can also take a sample if they wish.
Those infected with the monkeypox virus still have to remain in strict isolation until the skin lesions have fully healed, which can take up to 21 days. After healing of the lesions, it is best to use a condom during sexual activity for another 12 weeks to exclude transmission via sperm.
At the beginning of June, Belgium received 3,050 doses of Jynneos vaccine from the European Commission. A higher number of doses (30,000) is expected in late autumn. “In order to have the greatest possible effect on the evolution of the outbreak with the currently limited amount of vaccines, in addition to prophylactic vaccination after exposure (PEV), a preventive vaccination (PrEV) is also offered for certain target groups (people who potentially have a many others, or who are at very high risk of infection),” Sciensano said.