Monkeypox Case Detected in Capital
Patient infected with monkeypox in Congo. Photo: WHO
- By Teng Yalirozy
- December 13, 2023 6:10 PM
PHNOM PENH – A case of monkeypox has been detected in a 28-year-old man in Phnom Penh, prompting a call for strict protection and prevention measures to avoid an outbreak.
The man, living in Sepese village of Sen Sok district, had symptoms in his reproductive area on Nov. 30, which later spread to his right neck, cheek, arms and legs. He was sent to the National Institute of Public Health where he tested positive for monkeypox on Dec. 11.
Symptoms of MPox include a skin rash that lasts two to four weeks, fever, headache, back discomfort, pains in the muscles, poor energy, and enlarged lymph nodes.
The health spokesperson Or Vandine could not be reached for further comments.
In July 2022, the first case was discovered in 27-year-old Nigerian Osmond Chihazirim who was arrested at a guesthouse in of Chamkar Mon district in Phnom Penh. He had fled to Cambodia after testing positive for the virus in Thailand.
The monkeypox virus is transmitted through all forms of sexual contact with a person with the virus and direct contact with wounds, body fluids, saliva, utensils, clothing, bedding, towels, spoons, plates, and glasses of water that are contaminated with the virus.
The virus can be transmitted from mother to child through the placenta during or after labor.
Monkeypox, known since the 1950s, is primarily found in rodents and has spread through contact with disease lesions or respiratory droplets. The current outbreak is examining sexual transmission.
The World Health Organization on July 23, 2022, declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern due to reports of multi-country outbreaks.
During these, more than 16,000 in more than 70 countries had been infected while only five people died, according to National Library of Medicine.
But according to the WHO, the fatality rate from monkeypox has been between 3% and 6% in recent years, and it has historically reached 11%.
WHO reported 3413 laboratory-confirmed cases and one fatality reported from 50 countries in five WHO regions between January 1 and June 22, 2022.
The number of cases, however, is likely underestimated due to limited early clinical recognition.
Since early May 2022, cases of monkeypox have been reported in countries where the disease is not endemic and continue to be reported in several countries where the disease is prevalent.
Most confirmed cases of patients with a travel history have involved people who had traveled in Europe and North America, rather than West or Central Africa where the monkeypox virus is endemic.
While monkeypox presents a clear risk of further international spread, the risk of interference with international traffic remains low for the moment.
