Nearly 25,000 cases of monkey pox have now been diagnosed in Europe. As announced by the EU health authority ECDC, as of October 11, case-based data for 24,839 cases from 41 countries had been reported through the European monitoring system. Of these, 24,633 were laboratory-confirmed cases. Six percent of those infected (729 people) were hospitalized, five people came to an intensive care unit. Four patients died as a result of an infection.
98 percent of those infected were men, 39 percent of whom were between the ages of 31 and 40. Of the affected men who acknowledged their sexual orientation, 96 percent had same-sex contacts. Of those with known HIV status, 38 percent were HIV positive.
Almost all those affected develop a characteristic rash
In almost all cases (96 percent), the infection presented as a skin rash. 68 percent of those affected complained of typical symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle aches, chills or headache. Of the 729 hospitalized, 238 required long-term hospitalization and care. Five cases of contamination related to an occupational activity in the health sector have been documented, with four cases being contaminated in specialized laboratories when taking a sample. In the fifth case, the person concerned was not wearing the required protective equipment.
Most cases of monkey pox have occurred in Spain
With 7,239 laboratory-confirmed cases, by far the most monkeypox cases in Europe so far have occurred in Spain. Two deaths have also been documented there and the other two fatal infections occurred in Belgium and the Czech Republic. In terms of number of infections, France is in second place (4042), followed by Germany (3651), Great Britain (3627) and the Netherlands (1223). Austria is in tenth place with 319 cases.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
