Monkeypox virus detected in local patient -Reports

Credible reports emerging from Guyana’s health sector suggest the Monkeypox virus has been recently detected in at least one patient after testing at a facility in the public healthcare system in Region 4, Demerara-Mahaica.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “People with monkeypox get a rash that may be located on or near the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or anus (butthole) and could be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth.”

The CDC website states, “The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing. The rash can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy. Other symptoms of monkeypox can include: Fever, Chills, Swollen lymph nodes, Exhaustion, Muscle aches, and backache, Headache, Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough), You may experience all or only a few symptoms.”

In mid-July, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency over the monkeypox outbreak. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the time, “Although I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern, for the moment this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners.”

The virus has also been found in patients in Jamaica and Barbados as well in recent weeks.

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