13 suspected to have monkeypox test negative
Laboratory tests on 13 people suspected to have monkeypox show none are infected, while there are three people who have come into contact with patients, the Department of Disease Control said on Wednesday.
“The three who came into contact with monkeypox patients have not developed any symptoms,” department director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said.
“Meanwhile, laboratory tests on 13 suspected patients indicate they don’t have monkeypox but have the herpes simplex virus,” he said.
Opas said 6,178 monkey pox patients have been found in 56 countries as of Sunday (July 3). He added that the top five countries with highest number of monkeypox patients are Spain (1,196), Britain (1,185), Germany (1,054), France (498) and the US (459).
“More than 99 per cent of monkeypox patients are men,” he said.
Opas said the severity of the virus in Europe is low as only 10 per cent of patients were hospitalised. He also pointed out that monkeypox can be transmitted among humans by coming into close contact.
“Monkeypox patients will develop a fever, headache, muscle pain, back pain, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue,” he explained.
Patients develop a rash on their arms and legs 1-3 days after being infected, which will form blisters and then crusts.
“Patients will have symptoms for about 2-4 weeks,” he said, adding that most recover on their own.
Opas advised people to avoid crowded places, regularly clean surfaces and objects that are frequently touched, wear face masks, wash one’s hands regularly, avoid sharing personal belongings and consume only cooked food.
“Anyone who develops monkeypox symptoms can take a test at a hospital closest to their home,” he suggested.
The Public Health Ministry is ready to tackle monkeypox as the Department of Medical Sciences can conduct a RT-PCR test for the disease and get a result in 24 hours, he added.
For more information, contact the Department of Disease Control via hotline 1422.
