At the final stage is the process of drawing up a management and action plan of the Ministry of Health in case of detection of monkey smallpox cases in Cyprus, a competent source from the Ministry of Health told CNA. Meanwhile, the Vaccination Committee is meeting tomorrow to discuss the necessity of vaccination in certain categories of the population to tackle the disease.
The relevant departments had a teleconference today, in which they established and discussed the procedures and protocols to be followed in possible cases of the disease, how to admit and transfer cases to hospitals, their treatment, as well as their management at the level of the Epidemiological Management Unit.
Guidance from ECDC
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recommends that EU/EEA countries focus on early detection, management, contact tracing and reporting of new cases of monkeypox.
Countries should also update their contact detection mechanisms, diagnostic capacity for orthopox viruses and review the availability of smallpox vaccines, antivirals and personal protective equipment for health professionals.
Infected persons should remain isolated until the crusts drop and should especially avoid close contact with immunosuppressed persons and pets.
Abstinence from sexual activity and close physical contact is also recommended until the rash has healed. Most cases can be kept at home with supportive care.
Close contacts of monkeypox cases should be monitored on their own for the development of symptoms for 21 days after the last exposure. ECDC will continue to monitor developments closely and will update the risk assessment as new data and information becomes available.
Monkeypox virus can cause severe disease in certain population groups, such as young children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed individuals.
Further research is needed to accurately estimate the level of morbidity and mortality.
Source: CNA
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