Panama, November 22nd. Health authorities reported 15 new cases of monkeypox on Tuesday, bringing the number of confirmed infections in the Central American country to 48.
Five infected are hospitalized for clinical conditions and risk factors, and another 22 are in home isolation, for a total of 27 active cases of the disease, specified the Ministry of Health (Minsa).
The health bureau added that the 15 new cases correspond to men aged between 25 and 59.
Regional health teams are carrying out field investigations to determine close contacts of these cases and offer them monkeypox vaccination to cut the chain of transmission of the virus and the spread of the disease, the MINSA said.
In this sense, he explained that 21 doses of monkeypox vaccine have been applied to date.
Panama has 1,400 doses of the monkeypox vaccine, which can be applied “to people who have been exposed to another infected person” and “to medical or health personnel who have somehow overlooked biosecurity measures and believe they take some risks,” said Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre.
Since May 24, Panama has declared a health alert in the country and epidemiological surveillance has been doubled in all health regions and at points of entry into the national territory.
The Minsa has indicated that monkeypox is transmitted from person to person, can be caused by skin lesions from one infected person to another, respiratory and body fluids, and also through infected clothing or any surface that has come into contact with the injuries. .
On July 5, Panama reported its first case, in a 30-year-old man who only had a fever, as reported at the time.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on November 1 that it had maintained the international emergency due to the outbreak of monkeypox, declared on July 23, despite the sharp decline in cases in most regions. EFE extension
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