A second Monkeypox infected patient has been detected in Sri Lanka, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella confirmed today (09).
Minister Rambukwella stated that the patient is a Sri Lankan who had returned from Dubai, UAE.
The Health Minister further said that measures have been taken to admit the patient to the hospital.
The first Monkeypox infection in Sri Lanka was detected in a 20-year-old individual on Friday, 04th November.
At the time, the Ministry of Health said that the patient had arrived from Dubai the previous day.
Following the detection, Health Services DG Dr. Asela Gunawardena downplayed concerns about the spread of monkeypox in Sri Lanka, stating that people need not fear.
Stating that there are well-implemented health protocols in the country at present to detect such infections, he assured that the Health Ministry has the situation under control.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.
Monkeypox primarily occurs in central and west Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas. Animal hosts include a range of rodents and non-human primates. (NewsWire)