It Department of Health Dénia -DSD- has reported in a statement that it has identified 9 cases of monkeypox in Marina Alta since last May, when the pathology was declared a community infectious disease.

Spain is the country in Europe with the highest number of cases, nearly 4,600; followed by England -2,800-, Germany -2,700- and France -2,000-. With the Autonomous Community, Madrid leads the list, followed by Catalonia, Andalusia, Canary Islands, Basque Country and Valencian Community.

In the case of Marina Alta, all the patients, who had been treated and isolated for three weeks, as they have shown, were men with risky sexual behavior. In Spain, only 1.7% of the female population has been infected. According to the Head of Internal Medicine DSD, Dr. Patricia Martin Rico, “The sexual route is the most effective route of transmission; and more specifically in the case of homosexual relationships, because from a network point of view, it is more traumatic and, consequently, easier penetration of the virus”.

Prevention, transmission routes and hoaxes

However, added Dr. Martin Rico, “although the exchange of sweat and saliva can also be a transmission mechanism; For now, all cases detected in Marina Alta have a mechanism of transmission through sexual contact.” In this regard, the Head of Internal Medicine underlined the importance of prophylaxis during sexual intercourse with different partners and appealed to common sense when releasing hoaxes, as recently circulated on social networks, which were referred to as a means of transmission. buying used scooters.

Monkeypox, despite being a pathology with a very low mortality rate, says Patricia Martín Rico, “Patients need to be identified and isolated so as not to become another sexually transmitted disease. It is important to establish appropriate epidemiological measures and that infected persons do not have sexual relations of any kind and are isolated from people who live with them, including pets, as they act as reservoirs of monkeypox.

There is no specific treatment for monkeypox. Epidermal lesions are treated with local medication so they do not become superinfected. If the patient presents with fever or headache, antipyretics and analgesics are given, respectively.

Vaccine

The monkeypox vaccine has begun to be administered among health professionals and residents who have been in contact with an infected person.

The dose should be given within the first 4 days, although effectiveness persists for up to 14 days after contact. On the other hand, the scarified smallpox vaccine, which stopped being inoculated in Spain in 76, offers a certain level of protection.

The Ministry of Health plans to distribute doses to the population with the greatest risk; in addition to healthcare professionals and contacts of identified cases, also among patients undergoing PREP treatment or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection.