The Directorate General of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Management of the Regional Ministry of Health and Families has been notified by the National Microbiology Centre of a confirmed case of monkeypox infection in Andalusia, after activation of the protocols.
The person, a resident of the province of Seville, is generally progressing favourably and has been isolated at home. Close contacts are being identified in order to initiate the appropriate follow-up measures over the last 21 days from the date of exposure.
As of the last update of the data, 17 cases are under investigation and 8 cases have been ruled out. The cases under investigation reported to the Andalusian Epidemiological Surveillance System Network (SVEA) are 13 from the province of Malaga, 1 from Cordoba, 1 from Seville, 1 from Cadiz and 1 from Jaen.
Also known as monkeypox, this is a rare viral zoonotic disease. The initial clinical picture usually includes fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen or inflamed glands and tiredness. A few days after the onset of fever, a rash develops, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. It is usually a self-limiting illness and most people recover within several weeks, although in some cases it may require hospital admission.