Monkeypox has been found in a 29-year-old woman from West Africa. (File)
Dubai:
The UAE on Tuesday became the first Gulf country to announce a lawsuit against MonkeyPix, insisting it was “fully prepared” to deal with any outbreak.
The United Arab Emirates is believed to be the second country in the Middle East to be identified as the monkeypox after Israel, whose presence has caused concern in several countries following the coronavirus epidemic.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the case was found in a 29-year-old woman from West Africa who was receiving medical treatment.
“We have put in place specific arrangements for the diagnosis of suspected patients,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The technical advisory team for epidemic control has also developed a comprehensive guideline for surveillance, early detection of the disease, management of clinically infected patients and precautionary measures.”
Monkeypox, which is not usually fatal, can cause fever, muscle aches, lymph node swelling, chills, fatigue, and chickenpox-like rashes on the hands and face.
The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected skin lesions or droplets of body fluids.
Following outbreaks in Europe and North America, the World Health Organization said Monday that the risk of the disease spreading widely among the general population is very low.
Outbreaks appear to be exacerbated outside Central and West African countries, the WHO said, adding that less than 200 confirmed and suspected cases have been recorded in Australia, Europe and North America since the beginning of May.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and was published from a syndicated feed.)
