First case of monkeypox in the Dominican Republic is confirmed
The Ministry of Public Health confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the Dominican Republic.
Public Health offered the information after receiving the analyzes carried out on a patient who arrived in the country from the United States with symptoms and was admitted to the Ramón de Lara hospital.
The MSP ruled out on the possibility that the patient had infected other people on the aircraft that he arrived, because a very close contact is required to transmit it.
The health authorities determined that an epidemiological fence be carried out with all the people close to them who have had possible contact, determining that so far none have presented symptoms of the disease.
Dominican Medical School speaks
Monkeypox is nothing new nor does it mean a risk of massive contagion for the Dominican population, so the appearance of a first suspected case should not be a cause for alarm, according to the reflection of Dr. Senén Caba, president of the Dominican Medical College (CMD).
The situation with this smallpox is not the same as that of the covid-19 virus for several reasons explained by the doctor.
The first is that people vaccinated against smallpox have an immunity of over 80%, and the second is that only very weak organisms would be vulnerable to contagion. The youngest are not vaccinated against smallpox since the pathogen was eradicated.
Senén Caba gives as examples of susceptible patients people with cancer, poorly treated diabetes and the elderly.
It ensures that lethality and contagion are very low. Very direct contact is needed to transmit the pathogen.
The first human case was detected in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the first case in the West occurred in 2003 in the United States.
The doctor considers that the main thing is to keep the population well informed to avoid alarm, and sees in this branch the main weakness of the health system. For the rest, Caba considers that the health authorities have the capacity to manage the disease in the country.