Batut Institute to send instructions to doctors on how to recognize monkeypox virus

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In the coming days, Serbia's Institute of Public Health Batut will send expert instructions to healthcare institutions regarding the monitoring of monkeypox spreading in Europe, and Dr. Dragana Djordjevic Plavsa, an epidemiologist with this institution, says that it is necessary for healthcare workers to know the clinical characteristics of the disease and how to recognize them.

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So far, 92 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the world, while 28 suspicious cases are being investigated. There have been none in Serbia for now. Dr. Djordjevic Plavsa has told RTS that, as with other viral rash fevers, fever and general weakness appear first, while what is characteristic of monkeypox is the enlargement of the lymph nodes. She said that the rash appears later, and that patients with confirmed monkeypox have often reported that the rashe is more pronounced on the skin in the genital area.

Dr. Djordjevic Plavsa stated that so far the largest number of cases has been registered in Great Britain, Spain and Portugal, between 21 and 30, while sporadic cases have been registered in other countries.

"Monkeypox is caused by a virus that has two clades - West African and Central African. At the moment, the West African clade is in circulation, which is estimated to have a lower mortality rate than the Central African one, and it amounts to about 3.6 percent," said Djordjevic Plavsa.

She pointed out that it has not been established that the confirmed cases are related to visiting endemic African countries.

"Most cases have been registered among men who have sexual relations with other men, in fact, the virus is currently spreading in that population," she added.

In the coming days, Serbia's Institute of Public Health Batut will send expert instructions to healthcare institutions, and Dr. Dragana Djordjevic Plavsa says that it is necessary for healthcare workers to know the clinical characteristics of the disease and how to recognize them.

She said that monkeypox is caused by a virus of the same family of viruses as smallpox, an effectiveness of 85% has been determined among those who have been vaccinated against smallpox.

"However, that vaccination was in the past. People who are younger than 40 or 50, depending on the country, are not protected and therefore there is a higher risk of monkeypox spreading," says the doctor.

She stresses that so far all cases have been related to direct contact with people who already had the symptoms.

"This is very important for us epidemiologists, because it is easier to control such cases, it is easier to recognize, to diagnose and isolate them," the doctor added.

She said that monkeypox, as well as other viral rash fevers, have a stage within which fever and general sense of weakness occur, and what is characteristic of monkeypox is the enlargement of the lymph nodes.

"Later, there is a rash that starts on the face, then spreads to the extremities and the trunk. However, now patients are often reporting that the rash is more pronounced on the skin of the genitals," says Djordjevic Plavsa.

She said that if someone suspects having the symptoms of monkeypox, they should contact a general practitioner and will later be referred to an infectologist.

Prevention consists of avoiding contact with infected people.

(Telegraf.rs)