Dubai: UAE became the first Gulf country to announce a case of monkey-pox, in a young woman who travelled from West Africa, insisting they are “fully-prepared” for any outbreak.
“We have put in place precise mechanisms for diagnosing suspected patients,” a ministry statement said.
The diagnosis in the UAE marks the first case in the Arabian Peninsula. Israel became the first country to report case in the Middle East earlier this week. Globally, WHO has identified over 100 such cases.
Monkey-pox, which is not usually fatal, can cause a fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face. The virus is transmitted through contact with skin lesions or droplets of bodily fluid from an infected person.
After outbreaks in Europe and North America, the World Health Organization on Monday said the risk of the disease spreading widely among the general population is very low. Transmission can be stopped outside endemic countries in Central and West Africa and suspected cases had been recorded since early May in Australia, Europe and North America, said WHO
