Dominica warns its citizens to be wary of Monkeypox

Despite the fact that no case of monkeypox has yet been identified in the country, the General Directorate of Epidemiology has activated preventive surveillance. It provides expert advice on the symptoms of the Monkeypox virus and asks the medical professionals and the general public to be aware of the disease's signs and symptoms.

Because it is an infectious disease that may be passed from contact with bodily fluids, the detection of a possible case necessitates notifying the health authorities as quickly as feasible. They must then carry out a search for cases, isolate them if appropriate, track down contacts, and provide medical care.

The incubation period for the infection is between 1 and 3 days, with symptoms including fever, chills, headache, muscular aches, back pain, extreme tiredness, and swollen and prominent lymph nodes. A skin rash develops soon after.

Global Spread

Monkeypox is an acute viral infection that causes red spots before they break out in form of a rash. It's spread through direct contact with infected animals, their secretions, or bodily fluids. The virus attacks the nerves and muscles of the face and body. Given the World Health Organization's wake-up call (WHO), the Dominican Republic Ministry of Public Health issued a preventive epidemiological alert for monkeypox, particularly due to the identification of cases in the United States, from where the country receives migrants on a frequent basis.

So far the Dominican Republic has not experienced a case of monkeypox. However, in its warning notice, the Ministry of Public Health makes a number of recommendations based on those made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recommendations include avoiding animals that might contain the virus, particularly those who are ill or have been discovered dead in locations where monkeypox is endemic.

Never, under any circumstance, touch anything like bedding that has been in the same area as a sick animal; quarantine infected persons from others who may be at risk of infection. Also practice good hand hygiene after contact with infected animals or humans, such as washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Also, when caring for patients, use protective gear. Monkeypox is a "sylvatic zoonosis that generally occurs in forested regions of central and western Africa and leads to sporadic human infections."