Scotland, Denmark confirm first cases of Monkeypox
The Monkeypox disease outbreak has been detected in two new countries, Scotland and Denmark.
-
Scotland and Denmark confirm the first cases of Monkeypox.
Following a startling outbreak of the disease across Europe and North America last week, Scotland and Denmark confirmed the first cases of monkeypox in their territories on Monday, according to local health organizations.
"Public Health Scotland is aware of an individual in Scotland who is confirmed to have monkeypox. The affected individual is being managed and treated in line with nationally agreed protocols and guidance," Director of Public Health Science at the Public Health Scotland (PHS) Nick Phin said in a statement.
The PHS is working with other health authorities and partners in Scotland and the United Kingdom to identify close contacts of the affected individual and provide them with health information. The exposed people may be offered vaccines, according to the statement.
Read next: Switzerland confirms first Monkeypox case
Denmark has also reported the first incidence of monkeypox in a guy who recently returned from Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands' largest islands.
According to the Danish Statens Serum Institut (SSI), which found the illness, the individual is having moderate symptoms and is living at home in isolation. The SSI reported that the Danish Agency for Patient Safety is currently attempting to identify the affected man's close contacts.
"In general, Danes have nothing to worry about, but we are well aware of the outbreak because this is the first time we are witnessing a wider spread of the disease beyond Africa. So we cannot predict in advance how many people may be infected," SSI spokeswoman Tyra Grove Krause said.
Meanwhile, the number of infections is rapidly increasing in Portugal. Over the past 24 hours, 14 people tested positive for monkeypox, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 37. The Portuguese Ministry of Health is expecting even more infections to be confirmed soon, as some samples are still being studied.
Moreover, outbreaks were detected in Switzerland, Australia, Canada, North America, and the United Kingdom.
