Sri Lanka confirms its first Monkeypox case

The first Monkeypox case has been detected in Sri Lanka yesterday. 

An official of the Medical Research Institute (MRI) said laboratory results confirmed a 20-year-old male from Kelaniya area was identified as the first Monkeypox case, after he sought treatment from the National Hospital.

He had returned from Dubai recently.

The MRI has tested six suspected cases for Monkeypox since the establishment of real-time PCR assay in July. This was the first laboratory confirmed case of Monkeypox in Sri Lanka and the seventh suspected case tested by the MRI.

Health Ministry commenced conducting tests after the World Health Organisation provided Sri Lanka with test kits. Tests have been carried out in Colombo and Kandy.

The World Health Organisation in July officially declared Monkeypox outbreak outside of the traditional endemic areas in Africa has already turned into a public health emergency of international concern.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.

Monkeypox symptoms usually start within three weeks of exposure to the virus. If someone has flu-like symptoms, they will usually develop a rash 1-4 days later. According to medical sources, people have flu-like symptoms before the rash. Some people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms.

Other symptoms of Monkeypox can include; fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle aches and backache, headache, respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough).

A person with Monkeypox can spread it to others from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.

Some people have been found to have infection but no symptoms. To date, however, there is no evidence that Monkeypox spreads from people with no symptoms.