The State Health Institute (SZÚ) confirmed three more cases of monkeypox in the Czech Republic on Thursday, bringing the number to five. The SZÚ will report other cases at weekly intervals.
“Two of the new positive samples are from patients of the Central Military Hospital; one was sent for examination by the Bulovka University Hospital,” the SZÚ said.
One of the confirmed cases is in the Bulovka Hospital in isolation. Hana Roháčová, head of the Clinic of Infectious Diseases there, said. “His symptoms are minimal. He remains in isolation with us, and we will act according to the decision of the public health authorities,” she added.
She said no special measures had to be taken. “This is nothing new for us. We are used to using protective equipment and devices. Now, of course, it is the aids that correspond to this contagion,” she added.
Health officials are investigating contacts of those who tested positive. Close contacts are headed for quarantine, which lasts 21 days.
All confirmed cases of monkeypox in the country fall under the West African group of viruses. According to experts, there is a second group of viruses in monkeypox, the Congo group. Still, it has not been detected in patients in Europe or other countries and occurs in about 1 000 patients a year in Congo.
The West African variant has a milder course, with a mortality rate of one percent.