Forty-four days after the first case of monkeypox, the monkeypox, Brazil now has 607 cases, according to data from the Ministry of Health. Most of them, 438, are in the state of São Paulo.
Among the registered cases, 86 are from Rio de Janeiro, 33 from Minas Gerais, 12 from the Federal District, 10 from Paraná, 8 from Goiás, 5 from Bahia, 2 from Ceará, 3 from Rio Grande do Sul, 2 from Rio Grande do Sul. North, 2 in Espírito Santo, 3 in Pernambuco, 1 in Mato Grosso do Sul and 1 in Santa Catarina.
The ministry stated, in a note, that it maintains direct articulation with the states to monitor cases and trace patients’ contacts. The total number of cases published by the Ministry of Health on Thursday (21) is 13% higher than that released the day before, Wednesday (20).
Despite the name of the infection, monkeys do not transmit smallpox. Monkeypox is a disease transmitted primarily by intimate contact and exchange of secretions between people.
This means: hugging, kissing, sexual contact, sharing personal hygiene items, cutlery, etc. In addition, the virus also spreads through the respiratory tract, but this situation is less common than the first one. In most cases, the infection is not lethal, but it can be more severe in people with comorbidities.
Infectologist Marcelo Otsuka explains that, despite the progressive increase in the number of cases, the most common is that the infected have had contact with people who have recently returned from abroad.
In his view, we are not yet at risk of the infection becoming a pandemic, like the coronavirus. Despite this, Otsuka points out that the main characteristic of viruses is mutation. So, nothing prevents this virus from becoming stronger and more contagious at some point.
Personal hygiene is the greatest ally against monkeypox, as well as most infectious diseases.
It is necessary to always wash your hands and avoid sharing personal objects such as towels, cutlery, makeup and razors.
Source: CNN Brasil
