Monkeypox spread is worrying, says Bahrain's top Infectious Diseases Consultant

TDT | Manama  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A top infectious disease consultant yesterday raised concerns regarding the rising cases of monkeypox in Europe and North America.

Lt. Col. Dr Manaf Al Qahtani, an Infectious Diseases Consultant & Microbiologist at the BDF Hospital and Member of the National Taskforce for Combating, said the virus is now present in seven countries.

Monkeypox can be caught from a bite by an infected animal or by touching its blood, body fluids, or fur. It’s thought to be spread by rodents, such as rats, mice, and squirrels. Fever, muscle ache, lesions, and chills are the common symptoms of monkeypox in humans In a tweet, Al Qahtani said that there are 70 confirmed cases in the USA and Europe and no cases in Asia and the Middle East.

There are nine cases in the UK, 16 confirmed and six suspected cases in Portugal, 23 suspected cases in Spain, one confirmed case in the US, 13 suspected cases in Canada, one suspected case in Sweden and Italy. Regarding its spread, Al-Qahtani said, “the outbreak of the disease is unusual and worrisome.”

“Some of the cases were not linked to travel to countries where the causative virus is endemic,” he added. “Monkeypox, as we know, is not very contagious and is usually associated with wild animals and coexisting with them, but it may be different now,” he said.