Second suspected case of monkeypox virus detected in Israel

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A second possible case of the monkeypox virus has been detected in Israel, the Health Ministry announced Sunday. The man suspected of carrying the virus recently returned from a trip to Western Europe.

Barzilai Medical Center in the coastal city of Ashkelon said the 37-year-old man came to the hospital with very mild symptoms and will remain in quarantine until his diagnosis is confirmed.

On Saturday the Health Ministry confirmed the first case of the virus in Israel. Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital said a man in his 30s who recently returned from Western Europe arrived at the emergency room with symptoms of the disease on Friday, and the tests turned out positive the following day.

He was admitted into quarantine once suspicion of the disease arose, and is currently in a good condition.

Israel’s Health Ministry calls on any person entering Israel who experiences fever and a blistering rash to see a doctor.

Following the diagnosis of the first case, Israel’s pandemic response team met Saturday for a situation assessment. Following the meeting, the Health Ministry said it will be looking into purchasing vaccines and the relevant medications as well as regulating testing procedures in preparation for a potential climb in infections.

During the discussion it was stressed that despite reports from Europe that many of the infected patients are homosexual men, the disease is in no way related to sexual preference and is not unique to any one sector of the public.

In the past week, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, U.S., Sweden and Canada all reported infections, mostly in young men. France, Germany, Belgium and Australia confirmed their first cases of monkeypox on Friday.

Monkeypox is milder than smallpox, and is accompanied by flu-like symptoms, including fever and chills, as well as a rash of blisters appearing on the face or genitals. It is a viral disease which has so far been endemic to mainly Africa and is known to be less contagious in human-to-human transmission.

Illness typically lasts between two and four weeks, with patients usually recovering on their own. The smallpox vaccine – which was routinely given in Israel until the 1980s – is 85 percent effective against the virus. Moreover, drugs that were initially developed for treatment of smallpox can be used to treat those suffering from monkeypox.

Israel’s Health Ministry calls on any person entering Israel who experiences fever and a blistering rash to see a doctor.