In recent days, about 50 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide, and more cases are under investigation. The Ministry of Health monitors the information and is in contact with the health authorities in the various countries.
“In Israel, no case of a person has been reported so far,” the Ministry of Health said tonight (Thursday). Tonight, the Ministry of Health issued instructions to medical staff to raise awareness of the disease, and a statement to the public read: “The Ministry of Health calls on a person who has returned from abroad and developed a fever and a blistering rash to contact the attending physician.”
The first case of monkeypox has been identified in the United States, the Massachusetts Department of Health announced last night (Wednesday). This is a man who traveled from the United States to Canada, he has been hospitalized but is in good condition. Europe overtook the United States, and dozens of cases of the disease have recently been identified in Spain and Portugal, with the two outbreaks concentrated in the Madrid and Lisbon areas. British health authorities have said they have discovered seven cases so far this month.
So what is monkey pox?
Monkey pox disease is a viral disease that can be transmitted from rodents and monkeys as well as from close contact between humans. The disease is manifested by fever, blistering rash and enlargement of lymph nodes. The disease is infectious and similar to chickenpox. Its mode of spread is mainly from preoccupation with the meat of wildlife species, animal bite or scratch, body fluids, contaminated objects or close contact with an infected person.
The prevailing opinion today is that the smallpox vaccine preventing monkey pox in 2019 has been approved as a vaccine for the disease in the United States. The risk of death in those infected is up to 10% and there is no known cure for the disease today.