Health officials in Guyana say the persons who contracted the monkeypox virus, may have been infected through personal or sexual contact with others. Speaking with reporters on Friday, local epidemiologist Dr. Anand Persaud said the first confirmed case was a 57-year-old man, while the second was a woman in her 30s.
Both cases are unrelated and neither person travelled recently, raising concerns about the spread of the virus locally.
Persaud, however, noted that local health authorities have their suspicions about how those persons were infected.
“… in the first case it’s more than likely the person would have had personal contact with an individual infected.
“… for the second case we are suspecting that more than likely that individual would have also had personal contact but more specifically sexual contact with someone who was infected,” Persaud highlighted.
In both instances, the epidemiologist said contract tracing has been ongoing. As such, the local health authorities are monitoring those who have been in contact with the infected patients.
According to Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Shazeema Shaw, all infected monkeypox patients will exhibit skin rashes. And so, those people who might have been infected and spread it to the confirmed cases, should have those signs.
Meanwhile, during Friday’s engagement, the doctor in charge of the National Infectious Diseases hospital, Dr. Tracey Bovell said the facility is now equipped to isolate seriously ill patients with monkeypox.
This forms part of the Health Ministry’s efforts at countering the spread of monkeypox.
The symptoms of the virus include a rash that initially looks like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy. Other symptoms of monkeypox can include, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle aches and backache, headache as well as sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough.
CMC/
