Argentina confirms first case of monkeypox in Latin America

The Argentine Ministry of Health confirmed on Friday the first case of monkeypox in the South American country in a patient who recently traveled to Spain. It is the first case of this disease reported in Latin America.

In a statement, the Argentine authority said that the patient had a positive PCR test, adding that "sequencing showed a high percentage of homology with sequences from the West African clade."

Upon returning from Spain, the patient developed a fever and a rash. He is currently in isolation and is in good general health, according to the Ministry of Health. Those who he had contact with are also in isolation. 

The entity also claimed that it is currently studying a new suspected case of a Spanish citizen in Argentina.

"The person presents ulcerative lesions with no other associated symptoms, arrived in the country on May 25, and started symptoms yesterday, May 26, 2022. The patient is in good general condition, isolated, and receiving symptomatic treatment," said the statement, quoted by Infobae.

Several countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United States, and Australia, among others, have reported cases of monkeypox, which is transmitted from animals such as rodents and primates to humans.

The monkeypox outbreak totals at least 361 confirmed cases outside Africa, according to data compiled by RTVE.es. The virus causing the disease is the orthopoxvirus, which comes from the same family of viruses as smallpox and is endemic to Central and West Africa.

In humans, the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of smallpox, although milder. The main difference is that monkeypox causes the lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy), whereas smallpox does not.

Recently detected cases report a preponderance of lesions in the genital area, and some of the first cases identified in the United Kingdom, Portugal, or Spain were among men who had had relations with other men.