According to a statement, the staff of the health unit has found that the person diagnosed with the disease did not have close contacts that required precaution after exposure or additional monitoring by public health. “The person is doing well. “While we are reporting this first local case of monkey pox, the risk to the community remains very low,” said Dr. Alex Summers, MD. Smallpox is a viral disease that is endemic to parts of central and western Africa. It can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with body fluids or injuries to infected humans or animals, as well as through contaminated clothing or bedding and through respiratory droplets after prolonged exposure to an infected person. Symptoms include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and lethargy, followed by a rash (smallpox lesions). The rash may appear on the face and extremities a few days after the onset of symptoms and may spread to other parts of the body. There is no specific treatment for smallpox infection in monkeys, although antivirals developed for use against smallpox and post-exposure vaccination with the smallpox vaccine may help.
