Monkeypox cases detected in Sevilla

In Sevilla, a recent confirmation of three monkeypox infections has raised concerns among the public.

Recently, the Andalucian health authorities identified three family members – two adults and a child under six – as having contracted monkeypox. Despite the circumstances, their condition has been described as ‘mild’.

Swift response to monkeypox

The regional government has taken immediate steps to prevent further spread. Vaccination has been recommended ‘as soon as possible’ for the young patient’s schoolmates, underlining a targeted approach to control the situation.

The health authorities have conveyed a message of ‘calm’ to parents, since, according to the accumulated experience with this virus, the disease generally presents mild symptoms.

Understanding monkeypox transmission

Monkeypox primarily spreads through close, prolonged physical contact or the secretions of an infected individual. It’s a zoonotic disease, originating from animals like rodents and, to a lesser extent, primates, and can also be transmitted via contaminated objects.

Symptoms and precautions

The symptoms mirror those of flu, including muscle aches, fever, chills, headache, back pain, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue.

The symptoms are also accompanied by a distinctive rash that begins on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, particularly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. According to the report: ‘The rash most often begins when the fever begins to rise.’

Importantly, those vaccinated against smallpox, typically over 50, have some degree of protection against monkeypox.

Monkeypox’s seriousness varies, but it generally poses less risk to individuals vaccinated against smallpox.

The cessation of smallpox vaccination in the general population since 1972 and the eradication of the Variola virus in 1977 have left younger generations more exposed, although the risk remains low with few cases reported outside endemic regions.