BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina confirmed the first case of monkeypox in Latin America on Friday and reported another suspected case of the disease, the Ministry of Health said in a press statement.
Spain, England and Portugal are the countries with the most cases in the recent outbreak of this usually mild viral disease outside their endemic areas, usually found in parts of West and Central Africa.
“The outcome of the PCR result of the case in question is positive,” said the Argentine ministry, which added that the patient is in good health and that people who were in close contact with the individual were under clinical and epidemiological control, with no symptoms so far.
The ministry reported another suspected case of a Spanish citizen who arrived in the country on Wednesday and began to develop ulcerous lesions the next day.
“The patient is in good general condition, isolated and receiving symptomatic treatment,” the ministry said.
Most of the reported infections around the world so far have not been serious. Many – but not all – of the people who have been diagnosed in the current monkeypox outbreak have been men who have sex with men. Symptoms include fever and a rash.
Around 20 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, with more than 200 confirmed or suspected infections, mostly in Europe.
(Reporting by Eliana Raszewski in Buenos Aires; Writing by Steven Grattan; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
