Venezuela reports its first Monkeypox case

The first case of monkeypox has been recorded in Venezuela, the country’s Ministry of Health has said.

The patient, who is now in isolation, recently arrived from Madrid and had contact with two people infected with monkeypox in Barcelona, the ministry pointed out on Sunday.

The patient’s condition is assessed as stable.

Earlier in the week, Brazil reported its first monkeypox case, saying that the infected 41-year-old man recently arrived from Spain.

Most people usually recover from monkeypox within a few weeks without treatment. The symptoms are initially flu-like, such as fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes, which are then followed by a widespread rash.

The monkeypox virus is not easily transmitted and spreads through close physical contact, including sexual contact, with an infected individual. Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease (spread between animals and people). It originates in animals like rodents and primates and occurs in remote parts of Central and West Africa.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of June 8, 1,285 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in 28 non-endemic countries, with Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada affected the most.