The Department of Health (DH) of Puerto Rico reported this Sunday that it is keeping under investigation four additional personnel with suspected symptoms of monkeypox on the island, where seven cases have already been confirmed.
“Currently, the alerts continue to be studied and monitored. We have established surveillance systems that are essential to avoid a chain of contagions,” Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said in a press release.
“If you have any symptoms, isolate yourself at home and talk to a health professional right away,” added Melldo.
The local health agency confirmed last June 30 the first case of monkeypox on the island and asked the population to be alert to stop any chain of transmission.
Since then, a total of seven alerts have been registered: the confirmed case, the four cases under investigation, one discarded and another under monitoring (surveillance) for being a travel contact.
The DS reported that to keep citizens informed about the progress of the disease, it will publish weekly on its website the special monkeypox bulletin In Puerto Rico. The bulletin contains the alerts notified to the dependency.
The first report details that between the period of June 6 to July 1, 2022, seven alerts have been received for monkeypox.
Among these, is the confirmed case for the “orthopoxvirus” (genre that groups monkeypox) and four under investigation that are in isolation.
All cases are male, among the 20 a 50 years.
As published the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as of July 1, 2022, there are 5,783 cases of monkeypox in 52 countries. Of these, 460 cases are in the United States.
The World Health Organization said last day 25 of June that for the time being the outbreak of monkeypox should not be considered an international health emergency, as it happens with covid-19.