A 57-year-old man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) is the country’s first monkeypox patient who is currently at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
The individual, whose identity was not revealed, is said to be a public transportation provider.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony is urging the population not to panic.
“We have since isolated the patient,” he said. “That patient is stable and doing very well.”
The Health Minister also disclosed that persons who were recently in contact with the patient have been quarantined for monitoring.
“We have diagnostic capabilities…we have a lot of people who’ve been trained…so I don’t want people to panic because monkeypox is not something that is readily transmissible. You have to be in very, very close contact with that person…before you can actually get sick,” he explained.
“Once we follow the guidelines, I think people are gonna be okay,” the Health Minister added.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
