Monkeypox cases total 770 in Portugal

August 12

 

Portugal has registered a total of 770 confirmed monkeypox cases as of Thursday since the first case reported in May, said the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health (DGS).

 

Cases were detected in the Capital Lisbon and Porto, North Portugal, said the DGS. And 43 percent of the infected belong to the 30-39 age group.

 

The DGS said 99.3 percent of the patients are male, with only five cases reported in women.

 

Since July 16, Portugal has started the vaccination for those who had contact with the confirmed monkeypox cases, and 70.2 percent of the eligible contacts have been vaccinated so far.

 

The DGS said it is "aware of the epidemiological situation, monitoring and adapting, when necessary, the implementation of public health measures, namely concerning vaccination."

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on July 23.

 

As of Sunday, the WHO said 27,814 cases have been reported globally. Portugal is among the 10 countries most affected by the disease, with the United States (7,510), Spain (4,577) and Germany (2,887) topping the list.

 

xinhua