Poland has recorded its first ever case of monkeypox, the health ministry has confirmed. Since an outbreak of the virus – which is normally confined to Central and West Africa – began in the United Kingdom in early May it has spread to at least 30 countries.
Poland has “had about ten suspected [cases] of monkeypox”, said health minister Adam Niedzielski today. “The samples are being tested. 10 June is the day when we have our first [confirmed] case.”
The patient is currently in isolation in hospital at an undisclosed location and has been questioned by the health authorities. Health ministry spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz told the Wirtualna Polska news service that “the patient is not a Polish citizen”.
Potwierdzono pierwszy przypadek małpiej ospy w Polsce! Rzecznik @MZ_GOV_PL informuje: Pacjent jest na izolacji w szpitalu https://t.co/gf4rBTp3Yr
— wPolityce.pl (@wPolityce_pl) June 10, 2022
“We are in no danger, there is no epidemic, no cause for concern,” added Andrusiewicz.
Last month, as cases of monkeypox spread around Europe, the Polish health ministry introduced new regulations covering the disease, which previously had never been present in Poland and was therefore not included in the official list of infectious diseases.
Among the new rules is a requirement for medics to inform local sanitary authorities of any suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox. Anyone with a suspected or confirmed case must be hospitalised, and those who have had contact with it face 21 days of quarantine.
Anyone confirmed as or suspected of having monkeypox must be hospitalised and anyone exposed to the virus must be quarantined for 21 days under new rules introduced today by the health minister.
Poland has so far not recorded any cases of the disease https://t.co/lNXvUaJ7ay
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) May 27, 2022
Yesterday, the World Health Organisation announced that 1,000 cases of the virus have been detected in countries where it is normally nonendemic. They have been “reported mainly, but not only, among men who have sex with men”, noted WHO.
It warned of a “risk of monkeypox becoming established in nonendemic countries”, but also noted that so far there have been no deaths reported in connection to the outbreak of the disease.
Monkeypox is usually a mild illness that patients recover from within a few weeks. However, some cases can be severe, and health authorities warn that pregnant women and immunocompromised people are especially at risk.
Monkeypox Outbreak Tops 1,000 Cases; WHO Warns of 'Real' Risk https://t.co/wyySBOQS0h
— Jackson M'vunganyi (@UpfrontAfrica) June 9, 2022
Main image credit: NIAID/Flickr (under CC BY 2.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
