UAE announces 4 new monkeypox cases

The UAE has reported four new cases of viral zoonotic disease monkeypox. The cases were detected as part of the country’s epidemiological surveillance system.

This takes the total number of cases detected in the UAE to eight.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) reminded residents to follow all safety and prevention measures. They must also follow all due safety measures while travelling or if they are part of gatherings.

The ministry reassured residents that the UAE health authorities are taking all necessary measures, including investigation, examination of contacts, and monitoring their health.

The authority said monkeypox is contagious, but its spread is limited if compared to Covid-19. “It's mostly transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, including bodily fluids, and respiratory droplets, or with material contaminated with the virus. It can also be passed to the baby in the womb," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry had earlier detailed the isolation and quarantine procedures for infected individuals and their close contacts. Citing a unified national medical guide, the authority said positive cases would be isolated in hospitals until they recover. Their close contacts would be required to quarantine at home for “no less than 21 days”.

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Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. Healthcare authorities have advised facilities to consider symptomatic supportive care.

Confirmation of monkeypox virus infection is based on “nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), using real-time or conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for detection of unique sequences of viral DNA”, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

sahim@khaleejtimes.com

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