Monkeypox Lands in the Middle East... First Infection Reported in Israel

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Monkeypox, which has been reported in Europe and North America, has been officially reported for the first time in the Middle East. It has been spreading rapidly worldwide in recent weeks, causing concern among health authorities in various countries.

According to the Jerusalem Post on the 21st (local time), a man in his 30s from Israel was confirmed to be infected with monkeypox the day before. According to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, the man, who recently traveled to Western Europe and returned, visited the hospital with suspected monkeypox symptoms, and tested positive.

The Israeli Ministry of Health explained that the man was exposed to a monkeypox patient during his overseas trip and is currently receiving isolated treatment in a stable condition. Previously, monkeypox mainly occurred in Central and West Africa, but it has spread to several countries in Europe and North America in recent weeks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 80 confirmed cases and 50 suspected cases worldwide.

So far, cases have been reported in 10 European countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as in the United States, Canada, and Australia. With the official confirmation of a case in Israel this time, there are concerns that it will soon spread throughout the Middle East.

On the same day, the New York State Department of Health announced that one resident of New York City was also confirmed to have the monkeypox virus. This is the second case in the United States following Massachusetts on the 18th. The patient in New York is receiving treatment in isolation, and health authorities have launched an epidemiological investigation to trace the infection route.

Meanwhile, monkeypox, a viral disease, causes symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, lymphadenitis, and fatigue. It usually recovers within a few weeks, but can progress to severe cases. The fatality rate varies from 1 to 10% depending on the variant. It is generally transmitted through the respiratory tract, but transmission through sexual contact is also possible.