Belgium has become the first country to introduce a mandatory 21-day quarantine for people infected with monkeypox, with 14 countries now confirming an outbreak of the viral disease.
Belgian health authorities have said those who have contracted the virus will have to self-isolate for three weeks, after the country recorded three infections, with all infections, the first reported last Friday, linked to a festival in the coastal town. Antwerp.
This is as doctors have warned that the UK is facing a significant rise in infections, noting that the government’s response must be strong to contain its spread. Eleven more Britons have contracted the virus, bringing the total to 20, one of those cases is a child who is currently in critical condition in a London hospital, according to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper.
In contrast, another 100 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Europe, and there is concern among doctors that the response from officials is not the best, with more diagnoses expected next week.
Portugal has 14 confirmed cases, as well as Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Jerusalem, Switzerland and Australia.
The viral infection is spread by close contact with an infected person and the illness is usually mild, with most patients recovering within a few weeks without treatment, but for some it can be fatal with a mortality rate of 1 in 100. Vaccines are available in some countries For the disease, authorities in Britain are providing a vaccine for health workers and others who may have contracted it, and there is a vaccine for it in the United States.
