Health officials in Spain reported seven cases of monkeypox and Portugal updated its number of confirmed cases to 14 Thursday as an outbreak of a viral disease typically limited to Africa expanded in Europe.
In Spain, all of the reported cases to date involved men in Madrid, officials said. Health officials are currently testing another 22 suspected cases.
Officials said all of the cases identified so far were mild and that the infections appeared linked to close contact among two chains of transmission.
Portuguese authorities said Thursday that the 14 cases confirmed in the country all were reported in the area surrounding the capital city of Lisbon.
Meanwhile, the tally of confirmed cases in Britain rose to nine. Britain’s health security agency said Wednesday that recent cases reported this week had been seen “predominantly in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men,” though it noted that it was unclear how exactly they had gotten infected.
In Rome, the Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital said on Thursday it had confirmed one case of monkeypox in a patient who had recently travelled to Spain’s Canary Islands. Sweden’s public health agency also reported one case Thursday, saying it remained unclear how the patient became infected.
{{/usCountry}}In Rome, the Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital said on Thursday it had confirmed one case of monkeypox in a patient who had recently travelled to Spain’s Canary Islands. Sweden’s public health agency also reported one case Thursday, saying it remained unclear how the patient became infected.
{{/usCountry}}The US state of Massachusetts on Wednesday reported one case of monkeypox in a man who recently travelled to Canada, prompting officials to probe potential links to the outbreak in Europe. Separately, Canada’s Quebec province is investigating more than a dozen suspected cases of the virus.
Monkeypox typically causes fever, chills, a rash and lesions on the face or genitals resembling those caused by smallpox. A vaccine developed against smallpox has been approved for monkeypox, and several anti-virals also appear to be effective.