Italian monkeypox cases have risen to
three, the Lazio regional health authority said Friday.
The men are all being treated at Italy's premier infectious
disease hospital, the Spallanzani in Rome, it said.
The latest two cases are linked to case zero, it said.
he first case of monkey smallpox, or monkeypox, has been
identified in Italy in a man who returned from a stay in the
Canary Islands and presented with smallpox symptoms to Rome's
Umberto I Hospital, sources said Thursday.
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a
pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for
research, hence the name 'monkeypox.'
The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the
Democratic Republic of Congo during a period of intensified
effort to eliminate smallpox.
Since then monkeypox has been reported in humans in other
central and western African countries.
The World Health Organization said it was monitoring the
"quickly evolving situation" after reported cases in Britain,
Spain and the United States since the start of May as well as
the Italian case, plus two other suspected cases in Italy.
The WHO said travel or trade restrictions with the UK had so far
been ruled out.
Italy's Higher Health Institute (ISS) on Thursday set up a task
force of experts and contacted its 'sentinel' network of
sexually transmitted disease centres in order to "continually
monitor the national situation" following the cases of
monkeypox.
The ISS said regional health authorities had been alerted but
there was so far no cause for alarm.
The institute urged caution "in close relations or sexual
relations" that involved an exchange of bodily fluids and
stressed the importance of the role of its sexual infection
centres.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza said "we are keeping the level
of attention high thanks to our European and national networks
of surveillance." He said that at the ongoing G7 health
ministers meeting he had spoken to European Health Commissioner
Stella Kyriakides and the other ministers about the monkeypox
situation.
Speranza said that the European Centre for Disease Prevention
and Control (ECDC) and HERA, the Health Emergency Preparedness
and Response department, would be asked to follow the cases. The
ECDC said so far there had been five cases in Portugal and seven
in the UK as of Wednesday, as well as eight suspected cases in
Spain.
In Portugal , it said, there were a further 20 suspected cases
and all cases regarded young men in Lisbon and the Tago valley.
Health Undersecretary Pierpaolo Sileri told ANSA that "maximum
attention" was needed but there should be "no alarm".
He said "people should contact their doctors if specific
symptoms appear".
Most of the cases appear to involve gay men.
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