Monkeypox virus; detected in Belgium, Italy, and Germany

 France, Belgium and Germany have reported their first cases of monkeypox, joining Australia and several European and North American nations in recognizing the disease, which is endemic in parts of Africa.  According to France's health authorities on Friday, Monkeypox has been identified in a 29-year-old man in the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris, who had not recently returned from a country where the virus is circulating.  Also, the German armed forces" Institute of Microbiology said it had confirmed the virus in a patient who had developed skin lesions - a symptom of the disease. Emmanuel Andre, a microbiologist in Belgium, confirmed in a tweet that the University of Leuven laboratory had confirmed a second of two cases in the country in a man from Flemish Brabant. With the growing number of confirmed cases in several European countries, Robert Koch, Germany's health agency Robert Koch has urged people returning from West Africa to see their doctor quickly if they notice any changes in their skin.  The rare disease, which is usually not fatal, often comes with fever, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face. The virus can be transmitted through contact with skin lesions and droplets from a contaminated person, as well as through shared items such as bedding and towels. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was looking closely at the issue and in particular that some of the cases in the UK appeared to have been transmitted within the gay community.  Cases of monkeypox have also been detected in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, as well as Australia, the United States and Canada, raising fears that the disease - usually concentrated in central and west Africa - could spread.  According to the WHO, monkeypox usually subsides after two to four weeks.

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