The most recent case of monkey cups discovered in Europe is found in Sweden. The Swedish health authorities announced this in a press release on Thursday morning.
– The person who has been confirmed infected with the virus is not seriously ill, but has received care. We do not yet know where the person was infected. Investigation is ongoing right now, says infection doctor and investigator Klara Sondén at the Public Health Authority in Sweden.
A number of cases of infection have already been detected in several countries in the West. Spain and Portugal have discovered over 40 possible and confirmed cases. Canada is also affected, and in the United States, the first case was detected on Wednesday in a man who had been to Canada. In the UK, there have been nine cases since 6 May. It is believed that the infection originated in Nigeria.
Also read: Alarms after discovery of rare virus in Europe
– NEW CASES: The viral disease monkey pox causes rashes that start on the face and then spread to the rest of the body Photo: CDC / BRIAN WJ MAHY
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May appear in Norway
Assistant Director of Health Espen Rostrup Nakstad does not rule out that there may be cases in Norway.
– But it is probably only if there are people in Norway who have been in contact with the other cases in Europe. It is not the case that this is spreading to every single country. The cases that have been discovered in Europe so far probably stem from the infection that has been brought from Nigeria. This is now being mapped in several countries.
– Can it be the case that in Norway health personnel are asked to be extra vigilant?
– I think the health personnel in Norway are already paying extra attention to this.
Although monkey cups have now been found in a number of western countries, Nakstad believes that there is little danger that this will spread very much.
– Monkey pox is not as dangerous or contagious as the smallpox virus that was eradicated in 1980. It was a completely different issue. Monkey cups are usually able to handle well with self-insulation.
– It is not unlikely that it will come to Norway:
– But, it is clear that it rarely appears in Europe, and that is why you now follow the situation closely, including in the UK. This is how you can map and isolate the cases, as you do with other infectious diseases.
Also read: Person infected with monkey pox in Sweden
– Follows the situation closely
Nakstad says that Norway, like several other European countries, will follow the situation closely.
– Here, the situation will be monitored in collaboration with European infection control institutions, and for the time being, the handling of the proven cases is in focus.
The assistant health director emphasizes that Norwegians do not have to be very worried about this virus.
– There is no great drama in this news, it is unlikely that this will spread to a large extent if handled properly.
In Norway, the National Institute of Public Health monitors and monitors the incidence of various infectious diseases. To TV 2, FHI says that they are following the situation closely.
– There are several other countries that have discovered infection, and it is unusual to find cases that are not linked to travel to West Africa. So we are following the situation closely, says FHI chief physician, Siri L. Feruglio.
She says that so far no cases of the virus have been detected in Norway, and emphasizes that monkey pox is significantly less contagious than the smallpox virus.
– The monkey pox virus is in the same family as the smallpox virus, but the disease is significantly less contagious and has far lower mortality. For most people, this is a self-limiting disease, with fever, swollen lymph nodes and rash, but the disease can in rare cases have a fatal outcome.
– Monkey pox is a zoonosis that is transmitted from animals, primarily rodents, to humans, but which can also be transmitted between humans via contact with rashes and / or droplets.
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