ACCORDING to the health ministry, instances have yet to be confirmed and follow the detection of a viral illness in the United Kingdom and Portugal.
Spain's health officials have issued a warning about a suspected monkeypox epidemic after more than 50 people displayed symptoms consistent with the virus illness, which has already been found in the UK and Portugal.
The health ministry said that the suspected cases in the Madrid area had not been confirmed but that a countrywide warning had been issued "to ensure a rapid, coordinated, and prompt reaction."
According to the provincial health authority, the suspected cases are being investigated by the National Microbiology Centre in Madrid.
"Monkeypox is often transmitted by respiratory transmission; however, the features of the 50 probable cases lead to the transmission through mucus during sexual contact," stated a statement.
"The persons involved are doing well and isolating themselves at home, but they are being watched closely if they require medical care."
According to Fernando Simón, an epidemiologist who runs Spain's health emergency center, while monkeypox is unlikely to spread, "it cannot be ruled out."
Authorities in Portugal have verified five cases and are investigating 15 suspected cases. In a statement on Wednesday, the health ministry of Portugal said that the instances it had discovered – all in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region – had all involved males with ulcerative lesions.
"Similar cases of ulcerative lesions with proven monkeypox virus infection have been documented in the United Kingdom," it stated. "We are stowing an eye on the circumstances at the federal level and in cooperation with European institutions."
The first of the seven instances reported in the UK involved a person who had recently returned from Nigeria, where the virus is likely to have been transmitted. According to the UK Health Security Agency, the four most recent cases are all of the males who identify as homosexual, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men.
The health organization advises these groups to "be attentive" to potential signs such as rashes or lesions on any area of their body, particularly their genitalia, and contact a sexual health facility if they have any concerns.
Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, muscular pains, enlarged lymph nodes, and chills. A rash that resembles chickenpox or syphilis can form and extend from the face to other body regions, including the genitals. Most people recover in a few weeks.
A few instances of monkeypox, which has two types and is generally prevalent in central and western Africa, have previously been detected in the UK. The west African strain, which is milder than the more severe central African, or Congo strain, is suspected to be involved in the seven UK cases.
