Second case of monkeypox confirmed in Lajedo

The second case of monkeypox was confirmed in Lajedo on Monday, 26/09. The case was confirmed by the Central State Laboratory (Lacen-RS), and the Municipal Health Administration (Sesa) was notified. At the moment, there are no other suspected cases or pending tests in Lajiado.

This is a 19-year-old male from Lajedo. The diagnosis occurred after the patient sought care in an emergency care unit (UPA), on 22/09, when the sample material was collected for analysis. Symptoms appeared on September 14, and he tested positive for monkeypox on Monday. The patient’s condition is stable and he remains in home isolation.

The first case was confirmed in the municipality on Friday 23/09, of a 27-year-old man.

about the disease

Monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPV), of the genus Poxviridae and family Poxviridae. It is a zoonotic viral disease, the transmission of which can occur to humans through contact with an infected animal or human or with human body material that contains the virus.

Despite the disease’s common name, non-human primates (monkeys) are not reservoirs of the virus. Although the reservoir is unknown, the main candidates are small rodents in the tropical forests of Africa, especially in West and Central Africa. MPV is most commonly found in these areas, and people with the virus are sometimes identified outside of them, usually associated with travel to areas where MPV is endemic.

Contagion

Human-to-human transmission occurs through personal contact with respiratory secretions or skin lesions from newly infected people or contaminated objects, with direct contact with contaminated skin or objects playing an essential role.