The smallpox spreads in Spain.
An outbreak has been traced to a sauna club.
– We will try to curb the spread of this virus as much as possible, says health director Enrique Ruiz Escudero.
Days ago, Spain sounded the national alarm about the spread of a very unusual disease.
A further 23 cases of smallpox have now been reported in the country.
A total of 30 people have been confirmed to be infected. That makes Spain the country with the most cases in the whole world right now, reports El Pais.
Authorities in Madrid have now identified an outbreak that has been traced to a sauna club that several gay men are said to have visited, reports Reuters.
Traces of infection too full
The head of Madrid’s regional health authority, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, stated on Friday that the authorities are actively working to try to detect infection and stop the spread.
Another 18 suspected cases are under investigation in Spain, of which 15 in Madrid, 2 in the Canary Islands and 1 in Andalusia. One of them is a woman, the rest men. The average age of the infected patients is 35 years and all have mild symptoms that do not require hospitalization, reports El Pais.
“The Swedish Public Health Agency will carry out an even more detailed analysis to take control of the infection, break the chains of infection and try to curb the spread of this virus as much as possible,” says Enrique Ruiz Escudero.
A case in Sweden
A smallpox infection often leads to rashes, sores and blisters that are usually mild and can spread to the torso, arms, legs, hands, feet and face. Patients may also have a fever and swollen lymph nodes. If the infection is sexually transmitted, the patient can get blisters on the genitals and around the anal opening.
According to the World Health Organization, WHO, about 80 cases of smallpox have been registered so far in 11 countries and 50 cases are under investigation. On May 7, the first case was discovered in Britain after a man returned from a trip to Nigeria.
On Thursday, the Swedish Public Health Agency announced that a case had been established in Stockholm. This is the first case in Sweden ever.
The government has classified monkey pox as a general dangerous disease in order to be able to take infection control measures. Monkey pox is now subject to notification and means that the health service must report cases to the Swedish Public Health Agency.
– In the past, more general skin rashes have been seen all over the body. Now we see that the disease is sexually transmitted and the skin rashes are localized to the genitals, says Klara Sondén, infection doctor and investigator at the Public Health Agency.
Photo: Gov.ukFakta
Apkoppor
Monkey pox (English monkeypox) is a rare, sporadic zoonosis, that is, a disease that can be transmitted between animals and humans. It has previously infected people in the African rainforests, where the infection is found in wild monkeys, but it is likely that various rodents are reservoirs of the virus. Cases of smallpox diagnosed outside Africa are uncommon but do occur.
In 2022, several countries have reported cases among men who have sex with men and the infection in these cases is judged to be sexually transmitted.
Monkey pox is caused by the pox virus, a species of orthopox virus. Knowledge of how the disease is spread is incomplete, contact with infected animals is the most common route of infection, but there are also cases where the disease has spread between people. The infection can be sexually transmitted.
The disease picture in infection with monkey pox often gives rise to rashes, sores and blisters, the symptoms are often mild. The blisters can spread to the torso, arms, legs, hands, feet and face. Symptoms may also include fever and swollen lymph nodes.
In the case of sexually transmitted infections, blisters on the genitals and around the anal opening can occur.
Source: Swedish Public Health Agency.
Read more