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Rio de Janeiro records second monkeypox death

The Secretary of Health of Rio de Janeiro (SES-RJ) confirmed this Monday (3) the second death in the state due to monkeypox. The victim is a 31-year-old man, a resident of Mesquita, who had been hospitalized for more than a month in the capital of Rio de Janeiro.

The patient was admitted to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) on August 31 and, two days later, was transferred to the São Sebastião State Institute of Infectious Diseases, where he had been since then.

According to SES-RJ, the man had low immunity and comorbidities, which worsened the disease. He was treated with the experimental drug tecovirimat, which resulted in partial improvement of the lesions, but on Saturday (1st), he suffered respiratory arrest and died.

According to SES-RJ, 1,064 cases have already been confirmed in the state and 507 are considered probable or suspected. According to a bulletin released on Friday (30) by the Ministry of Health, the country has 7,869 confirmed cases and 4,905 suspected cases.

Until then, there were two deaths recorded: one in Minas Gerais and another also in Rio de Janeiro. Worldwide, more than 61,000 cases and 23 deaths have been reported. In July, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.

What is monkeypox

Known internationally as monkeypoxmonkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa and has become a health concern due to its spread to several countries since May.

The disease is caused by a type of virus similar to that of smallpox, eradicated in Brazil in 1980 after massive vaccination campaigns.

Monkeypox was first described in 1958. At the time, monkeys were also being affected, and they died. Hence the name of the disease. However, in the transmission cycle, apes are victims like humans. In nature, wild rodents probably represent the animal reservoir of the virus.

Between people, transmission occurs through direct contact, such as kissing or hugging, or through infectious wounds, crusts or body fluids, in addition to respiratory secretions. The most characteristic symptom is the formation of painful rashes and nodules on the skin. In addition to these injuries, fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, and weakness may occur.

Although the lethality rate is low, and the body’s own defenses are usually able to fight and eliminate the virus, there is a risk of worsening the condition, especially for immunosuppressed people with HIV/AIDS, transplant recipients, people with autoimmune diseases, pregnant women, lactating women. , children under 8 years of age, and patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or metastasis.

As a prevention, the infected person should be isolated until all wounds have healed. It is also recommended to avoid contact with any material that has been used by the patient.

Vaccines for smallpox are effective to combat the outbreak of smallpox in monkeys, but there is, for the time being, no provision for a mass immunization campaign, given the need to produce doses on a global scale.

In August, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) gave approval to the importation of the immunizing agent by Brazil.

Source: CNN Brasil

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