The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday announced the first monkeypox case this year, detected in a male Republic of China (Taiwan) national who traveled to several European countries in January and February.
The imported case, the fifth in Taiwan since the disease started spreading internationally in May last year, was confirmed on Feb. 15, with the individual developing symptoms that included blisters, rashes, a sore throat, joint pain and body aches, CDC official Kuo Hung-wei (???) told a news conference in Taipei.
An epidemiological analysis suggested that the man was most likely infected in Austria, CDC spokesman Lo Yi-chun (???) said.
Contact tracing carried out by the CDC has identified 39 local residents with whom the man has come into close contact, including one close friend and 12 colleagues, while the rest were at the hospital where he sought medical assistance, Lo said.
Of the people with whom the man came into close contact at the hospital, one showed monkeypox-like symptoms but tested negative for the communicable disease, he added.
The man’s symptoms had alleviated as of Tuesday but he will remain in isolation until he is fully recovered from the rashes, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (???) said.
The primary mode of transmission for monkeypox is intimate contact. It was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23, 2022, a status it retains.
More than 86,000 monkeypox cases have been reported worldwide since the initial outbreaks were reported in the United Kingdom in August last year.
The latent period for the disease can last 21 days, Lo said.
Individuals with a fever, or who display skin conditions such as papules, blisters or pustules after traveling abroad, should report such symptoms to airline personnel and customs officials upon their return to the nation and seek medical attention as soon as possible, he said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel