Gulf countries have begun preparing for the monkeypox virus in right earnest by adopting preventive measures. Beside the UAE, which became the first Gulf country to announce a case of the disease, no other regional government has announced any infections.
The Dubai Health Authority and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, both associated with the Ministry of Health, have directed health facilities to conduct epidemiological investigations into the disease.
The department directed all health institutions to report any suspected, prospective, or confirmed case using the electronic infectious disease reporting system.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health said that no suspected cases have been identified in the country. “We are closely following the current developments of the new viral disease,” the ministry said.
The processes followed in clinics and hospitals “have not changed, since the local health conditions are stable and do not require further preventive or precautionary measures,” according to the local daily newspaper Al-Qabas.
Al Qabas stated that the ministry is in “direct contact with the World Health Organization to follow up on the progress of any disease or pandemic, and to work to implement the recommendations made by the organization regarding it.”
Saudi Arabia has not reported any cases of monkeypox infection but has assured that it is fully prepared to monitor, investigate, and deal with any cases that arise.
The ministry said in a statement that all medical and laboratory testing are available and offered assurance about the presence of an integrated preventive and curative plan to deal with such cases if they emerge.
As part of the measures that the Kingdom has begun to implement, it has called on people to follow healthy behaviors and awareness guidelines issued by the Public Health Authority and identify the necessary preventive measures, particularly in countries where the disease was being monitored.
In Bahrain, some MPs urged tighter control, strong preventive measures, and dealing firmly, cautiously, and immediately to keep the monkeypox virus from penetrating.
The deputies emphasized the importance of monitoring arrivals and departures at various ports and activating the list of “red nations” to save the country from being afflicted by the effects of this disease.
Monkeypox is a type of smallpox that was eradicated in 1980. It is considered one of the deadly yet least contagious diseases.
The disease is spread by saliva, nasal secretions, and the resulting rash, as well as through sharing things like beds and towels.
According to the World Health Organization, the monkeypox virus is transferred to humans through a range of wild animals, but secondary transmission via human-to-human transmission is limited.
The virus is an uncommon disease that primarily affects rural parts of central and western Africa near tropical rainforests. There is no therapy or vaccine available to combat the disease, although earlier vaccination against smallpox has been highly efficient in avoiding monkeypox.
The disease typically lasts two to four weeks, with symptoms appearing five to 21 days after infection.
Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, back and muscle discomfort, chills, exhaustion, and swollen lymph nodes. It also creates a bothersome rash that appears after one, two, or three days, frequently beginning on the face and spreading to other body regions.