Assoc. Prof. Mangarov: Infection with monkeypox occurs in very close contact – Diseases

The first to be infected with monkeypox in Bulgaria were two men who were hospitalized in Sofia. One of the infected is being treated at the Military Medical Academy. He arrived there on Monday with suspicions of chickenpox, but research shows that it is monkeypox. The patient is improving.

In the other man, who is in the infectious disease hospital, the disease is also mild – fever and rash. Both have traveled abroad in the past two weeks, to Spain and the United Kingdom, but have not provided contact information.

One of the two patients was admitted with a rash to the capital’s Infectious Diseases Hospital a few days ago.

First cases of monkeypox in Bulgaria

“I have never seen monkeypox before. He had a fever and the rash he had. Given that he is a foreigner and with these symptoms they suspected monkeypox and confirmed it, “commented Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Mangarov to BTV.

Close contacts of patients should be monitored for symptoms for 21 days, experts advise.

“In our part of the world, there are no conditions for the spread of this virus under normal circumstances. Infection with monkeypox occurs through very close contact, “added Assoc. Prof. Mangarov.

The condition of both men is improving. They have recently traveled abroad.

“It’s not about spreading the disease in our country. Their contacts are yet to be established, as the epidemic study is currently underway. There is no risk of an epidemic either in our country or in the world. These are isolated cases that infect the closest contacts to them and at a very close distance, or are skin-to-skin contact, “said Prof. Iva Hristova, director of NCIPD.

Today, the World Health Organization is expected to decide whether the monkeypox epidemic poses a global threat.

Let’s recall the symptoms of monkeypox – the most common are fever, muscle pain, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes, as well as the typical rash, which most often appears one to 3 days after the onset of fever. These symptoms are usually mild. The disease has a mortality rate of about 1%. It is believed that people who have been vaccinated against smallpox have protection against it.

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