The Lebanese Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that it had sent samples to France from suspected cases of monkeypox, a virus endemic to West Africa that has been reported in several countries around the world. Lebanon has not confirmed any case of monkeypox on its territory.
In a statement, the ministry said “to have been informed of suspected cases of monkeypox” and ensured “to follow up” on these cases. “Samples have been sent to a laboratory in France”, continues the text, noting that “follow-up is also in progress with contact cases”. The ministry added that it had made available to the public a telephone number, 1787, for any additional information.
Cases of monkeypox have been recorded in several countries since the beginning of May, notably in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, or even Portugal, France and Sweden. Its symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue. Rashes can occur, often on the face, and spread to other parts of the body including the genitals, before going through different phases, crusting over and falling off. There is no cure for monkeypox, which is spread by contact with an infected person or their body fluids, including saliva. This viral infection heals itself.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that it had sent samples of suspected cases of monkeypox, a virus endemic to West Africa that has been reported in several countries around the world, to France. So far, Lebanon has not confirmed any cases of monkeypox on its territory. In a statement, the ministry said “having been informed of suspected cases…