There is no specific treatment, but clinical pictures are usually mild
Brazilian health authorities have confirmed 36 new cases of monkey pox in the last few hours. In total, 142 cases of the viral disease caused by the hMPXV virus (acronym for Human Monkeypox Virus) have already been registered.
According to the Ministry of Health, most (98) cases have been confirmed in the state of São Paulo. Next comes Rio de Janeiro, with 28 occurrences of the disease, Minas Gerais (8), Ceará (2), Paraná (2), Rio Grande do Sul (2), Distrito Federal (1) and Rio Grande do Norte (1).
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In a statement released to the press this morning (7), the folder reaffirms that it is in direct contact with the state health secretariats, monitoring the cases and tracking the people with whom the patients had contact.
According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), monkey pox is traditionally transmitted mainly by direct or indirect contact with blood, body fluids, skin lesions or mucous membranes from infected animals. Secondary or person-to-person transmission can occur through close contact with infected respiratory tract secretions or skin lesions of an infected person, or with objects recently contaminated with patient fluids or lesion materials. Transmission occurs primarily by respiratory droplets. There is no evidence that the virus is sexually transmitted.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment, but the clinical pictures are usually mild and care and observation of lesions is needed, according to PAHO. The greatest risk of worsening occurs, in general, for immunosuppressed people with HIV/AIDS, leukemia, lymphoma, metastasis, transplanted, people with autoimmune diseases, pregnant and lactating women and children under 8 years.
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The first symptoms may be fever, headache, muscle and back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills or fatigue. One to three days after the onset of symptoms, people develop skin lesions, usually on the mouth, feet, chest, face, and or genital regions.
For prevention, close contact with the sick person should be avoided until all wounds have healed, as well as with any material that has been used by the infected person. It is also important to clean your hands by washing them with soap and water or using alcohol gel.
