TEHRAN – Following the identification of the first case of monkeypox, 291 tests have so far been carried out in the country, Shahnam Arshi, Head of the Infectious Diseases Management Center of the Ministry of Health has said.

On Wednesday, a 34-year-old woman who is living in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, was diagnosed with monkeypox, IRNA reported.

“Monkeypox test has different methods, one of which is virus PCR test. Of course, finally, in order to be confirmed, genetic sequencing is also done so that the result is definitive.

Those who have injected the smallpox vaccine will be immune against monkeypox to a great extent. Primary monkeypox testing is done at all centers, but sequencing is done only by the Pasteur Institute of Iran,” he explained.

Neither the epidemic nor the number of infections is that high to provide the vaccine, and even in the countries where the prevalence is high, there is no talk of routine vaccination, Arshi stated.

Those who have injected the smallpox vaccine will be immune against monkeypox to a great extent.

Since May 13, cases of monkeypox have been reported to the World Health Organization from 12 Member States that are not endemic to the monkeypox virus.

In May, the Ministry of Health was examining suspects to identify possible monkeypox infection. Also, a guideline has been prepared for the prevention and treatment of this disease, which will be provided to universities.

Due to its low transmission pace, it is less likely to cause an epidemic and is not worrisome, he stated.

In the current epidemic of monkeypox disease, more than 30,000 cases have been reported in the world, of which about 15,000 cases have been reported in the Americas and about 15,000 to 16,000 confirmed cases have also been reported in various European countries.

More than 80 countries have reported infection. So far, 35 cases have been reported in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. It is caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family.

The virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding. The incubation period of monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days.

Monkeypox is usually self-limiting but may be severe in some individuals, such as children, pregnant women, or persons with immune suppression due to other health conditions. Human infections in the West African clade appear to cause less severe disease compared to the Congo Basin clade, with a case fatality rate of 3.6% compared to 10.6% for the Congo Basin clade.

FB/MG