The First Cases Of Monkeypox Enter Latin America And Argentina To Announce

Photo by Hector Ramon Perez on Unsplash

JAKARTA - The Argentine Ministry of Health confirmed the first two cases of monkeypox in Latin America, Friday, May 27.

"The PCR test result of the case in question is positive," the Argentine Ministry of Health said regarding the first case, which has so far been asymptomatic.

The patient is now healthy and people who had close contact with the patient are under clinical and epidemiological surveillance.

Then on Friday afternoon, the ministry confirmed one other case, namely in a Spaniard who arrived in Argentina on Wednesday (25/5) and started experiencing ulcers the next day.

"The patient is generally in good health condition, isolated, and receiving treatment based on the symptoms experienced," the ministry said.

So far, most of the infections reported worldwide are not serious. Many, but not all, of the people diagnosed with the recent outbreak of monkeypox are men who have sex with other men.

About 20 countries, where monkeypox is not endemic, have reported outbreaks of the viral disease. More than 200 confirmed or suspected infections have been identified, mostly in Europe.

Spain, England, and Portugal are the countries that recorded the most cases of monkeypox recently.

The disease, which is common in western and central Africa, usually spreads less rapidly outside of areas of transmission.