Four monkeypox cases confirmed in Catalonia

The first monkeypox cases in Catalonia have been confirmed on Thursday evening, as the Catalan health department announced. There have been four confirmed patients and all are linked to others in Spain.

These are the first cases of monkeypox in the territory after the vast majority of cases in Spain have been confirmed in the Madrid region.

For privacy reasons, the health department will not release any private information regarding the patients.

Catalan health minister Josep Maria Argimon reacted to the news on Friday calling on the public "to be alert, but not alarmed."

According to him, it is "very likely" that more cases arise in the coming days. Yet, he reminded that in general it is not a serious disease. 

Talking to the press, he expressed that there is no evidence that a mass vaccination campaign will be needed. The treatment for monkeypox, Argimon added, depends on the symptoms of each patient. 

Confirmation of cases

The confirmation of the cases is not immediately available, as the Catalan epidemiologic surveillance network has to control some possible cases and warn Spain's Alert Coordination and Health Emergencies Center.

There, the center takes the several samples they have received and analyzes them.

On Friday 20, the Catalan public health secretary, Carmen Cabezas, confirmed that Catalonia would have its first monkeypox cases in the upcoming days. In an interview with Catalan RAC1 radio broadcaster, the expert announced that there are always patients with similar diseases that "need studying." 

However, Cabezas confessed to not being worried, as it would not be the first case of the infrequent but known disease in western countries. Clusters tend to be "small and in specific places," she added.