Filenews 27 May 2022
In view of the detection of increased cases of monkeypox disease worldwide since the beginning of May, with a total of 219 confirmed cases until May 25, 2022, the Ministry of Health has developed protocols for the management of the disease, which includes the following:
- Determination of the procedure for the management of suspected and confirmed cases,
- Recording of cases on the basis of a legalized procedure from the point of view of public health (contact tracing, communication with cases, etc.) by the Unit of Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases of the Medical and Public Health Services,
- Determination of the procedure for the transfer of suspected incidents,
- Designation of Nicosia General Hospital as the reference hospital for suspected or confirmed cases of adults and the Makarios Hospital for children.
- Initiation of procedures for the development of laboratory control methodologies for the disease by the microbiology laboratory of Nicosia General Hospital and the laboratory of molecular virology of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics,
- Making an agreement with laboratories abroad for possible immediate shipment of a sample,
- Declaration of participation in a joint European tender for the purchase of a vaccine,
- Declaration of participation in a joint European tender for the purchase of antiviral drugs,
- Determination of the way of managing a possible suspicious incident at the entrance gates of the Republic of Cyprus.
It is emphasized that based on the epidemiological data so far, the risk for the general population is low, as cognition is usually mild and self-limiting with relatively low transmissibility. In our country, no suspected case of monkey smallpox has been recorded so far.
