As part of the continuous efforts to ensure the health and wellbeing of the community, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre and local healthcare authorities are continuing their coordination and implementing strict preventive measures to counteract the spread of infectious diseases, including Monkeypox.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by a virus belonging to the Orthopoxviral genus in the Poxviridae family and transmitted from infected animals to humans. Primarily, the disease occurs as infections in the tropical rainforest area of Central and West Africa. The first human monkeypox infection case was discovered in Africa in 1970.
RELATED STORY: DOH: No monkeypox detected yet in PH
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) have instructed all healthcare facilities to report suspected cases according to the system followed, and take the necessary precautionary and medical measures to detect any infection cases.
Animal-to-human Monkeypox virus transmission occurs from direct contact with blood and bodily fluids. The Human-to-human transmission is limited and can result from close contact via respiratory particles droplets that require prolonged face-to-face contact, in addition to transmission possibility upon contact with surfaces contaminated with patient fluids.
Typically, the disease begins with general symptoms characterised by fever, myalgia (muscle aches), intense headache, lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes), followed by skin eruption that concentrates on the face and then spreads to other body parts.
READ ON: Rare African monkeypox virus detected in human in Texas
The incubation period of monkeypox is usually from 6 to 16 days and symptoms last from 14 to 21 days.
Due to the transmission mode and the endemicity of the virus in certain parts of Africa, its human-to-human transmission is considered limited and within the range of direct contact with the patient or contaminated fluids.
