The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

A 31-year-old man with no relevant travel history has been diagnosed with monkeypox, the first reported case of a Bahamian confirmed with the disease.

The Ministry of Health & Wellness said the man presented himself with symptoms of the virus on June 1 and was placed in isolation until tests confirmed the disease.

“Surveillance and public health protocols were activated and remain ongoing,” the ministry said.

The World Health Organization announced the end of the global emergency around monkeypox in May.

 According to a WHO situational report, only 552 new cases were confirmed between May 26 and June 5, with six new related deaths reported.

 The WHO said there were around 275 new cases per week during the two-week period, most of which were reported from the European and South-East Asia regions.

 The Ministry of Health & Wellness identified gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with other men (MSM) or individuals with multiple sexual partners as people with a high risk of exposure to the virus, but encouraged everyone to follow health protocols.

 The protocols include “washing your hands properly and often with soap and water, using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser until soap and water are available, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces regularly, and maintaining physical distance from others, particularly if you feel ill.”

 Symptoms of Monkeypox include skin rash/lesions, fever, headache, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion. Symptoms can last for two to four weeks. According to the ministry, the death rate associated with the disease is low, ranging between three to six per cent of persons infected.

 Last June, PAHO director Dr Carissa Etienne warned of an inevitable outbreak of monkeypox in The Bahamas. 

 In October, 1,400 monkeypox vaccines arrived in The Bahamas through a Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO’s) fund.

 Dr Darville did not reveal a date for the official rollout of the vaccines, though he said the high-risk groups would receive doses “very shortly”. He also said negotiations with PAHO were underway for a second batch of vaccine doses.