First monkeypox patient discharged from hospital

The two people diagnosed with monkeypox in Cyprus last week are in good condition and remain in isolation, while the first case detected the week before has already been discharged from hospital according to health ministry spokesperson Constantinos Athanasiou.

“The two people currently in isolation at Eden rehabilitation centre in Tersefanou are recovering without problems and will be released once their rashes are fully healed,” he told the Cyprus News Agency on Wednesday, adding that so far three of seven identified contacts of the 40-year-old sailor, the first confirmed case on the island, have been vaccinated.

The two new cases detected on Saturday were both male tourists.

Cyprus received 1,260 vaccines on Saturday morning.

An information campaign started in hospitals as of Monday, so that health professionals managing suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox can express their interest in vaccination.
Athanasiou also noted that actions are being taken through the European vaccine-sharing mechanism to speed-up the receipt in Cyprus of additional batches of the approved drug Tecovirimat.

“It is important that anyone developing symptoms consistent with monkeypox, to immediately contact their personal doctor to be given necessary instructions,” Athanasiou added.

Monkeypox is a rare infection caused by a virus related to smallpox. It was first discovered in animals in the late 1950s while the first human case occurred in the 1970s. Transmission can happen through contact with infected animals or from person to person, including contact with contaminated objects such as bedding.

The majority of people infected with the virus show no symptoms. For people who will develop symptoms these appear 5-21 days after infection (most commonly around day 12). These may include fever, headache, myalgias, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and weakness.