1st Case of Monkeypox Detected in Lebanon

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon announced on Monday its first case of monkeypox, the state news agency NNA reported, quoting the health ministry.

The patient had come from abroad and is currently quarantining at home, NNA quoted a ministry statement as saying.

The ministry stated that “monkeypox disease is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans, either from animals to humans via contact with infected animals [rodents or monkeys] in countries where the virus is endemic in sub-Saharan African countries [Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa, Cameroon and Central African Republic...]; or from person to person via direct contact with skin lesions and spray, or sexual relations or indirectly through contaminated objects, especially bed sheets”.

The ministry urged “the public to take the following preventive measures: adherence to a safe distance with infected people, not sharing their personal items, not having contact with animals in the countries where the disease is endemic, and avoiding consumption of the meat of wild animal”.