This Monday, the Health Secretary posted a second Epidemiological Warning and activated an internet portal on the monkeypoxalso known as “monkey pox”.
This second epidemiological notice was issued so that the medical units first, second and third level care, Hospital Epidemiological Surveillance Units (UVEH) and members of the National Network of Public Health Laboratories (RNLSP) report the suspected cases of the illness.
As of July 23, Mexico has 60 confirmed cases, of which the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (InDRE) has confirmed 59, distributed in 11 states: Mexico City (35), Jalisco (12), State of Mexico 2, Nuevo León 2, Veracruz 2, Baja California (1), Colima (1), Oaxaca (1), Quintana Roo (1), Sinaloa (1), Tabasco (1). Also, a case that was confirmed in the United States, with a history of stay in Jalisco.
The Ministry of Health stated that the incubation period of the monkeypox it is from five to 21 days; Symptomatic disease progresses in two clinical phases that are generally self-limited for two to four weeks.
The first five days, he explained, the symptoms are fever, intense headache, swollen glands, lower back and muscle pain, lack of desire to move or do any physical activity.
Between days one and three, after the onset of fever, a rash appears, which usually affects the face first and then spreads to the rest of the body. The rash evolves asynchronously to skin eruptions, vesicles, small bag-like bumps containing pus, and crusts. It has been observed that the lesions can appear at the genital, perianal and perioral level.
So far there is no specific treatment and a vaccine for the disease is not widely available.
The agency instructed that people with symptoms of the disease should avoid any travel, national and international, until it is determined that it no longer constitutes a risk to public health.
The Ministry of Health recommends that the population:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or gel alcohol solution.
- Cover nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing with respiratory etiquette.
- Avoid sharing food, drinks, cutlery and plates.
- When physically close to a sick person, wear a medical mask, especially if the patient is coughing or has mouth sores.
- Wash clothes, towels, eating utensils and sheets in contact with the sick person, using warm water and detergent.
- Clean and disinfect spaces where the sick person has been.
- Avoid contact with lesions; if they must be touched, wear gloves and dispose of properly.
- In case of symptoms, seek medical attention and avoid contact with other people.
With information from López-Dóriga Digital