By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister, Dr Michael Darville said there is another suspected case of monkeypox in the country.

This comes after the minister reported last month that a foreign national who travelled to The Bahamas was being closely monitored by health officials and suspected of having the disease.

The individual was believed to be in his mid 40s and had been placed in isolation after showing symptoms associated with the disease. He was a short time later flown out of the country. Yesterday, the minister said it was confirmed that the man did indeed have monkeypox.

Yesterday, during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr Darville confirmed that the newest suspected case of monkeypox was now with a Bahamian.

 “Yes, I would like to inform the general public that the suspected case of monkeypox that was in the country on June 9th,” Dr Darville said. “Our National reference lab did the analysis and that case was confirmed to be monkeypox on the 24th of June.

The foreigner who was being monitored for suspected monkeypox was airlifted out of the country

and the case has been resolved.

Dr Darville told reporters that there is also a suspected case in the country currently.

He said: “There is another suspected case in the country that we are monitoring. That individual went through the quarantine process, for I think 21 days and all the contacts associated with that case are also being monitored.”

Asked about the suspected case, he confirmed this case is a Bahamian case and they are said to have a history of contact with someone from a foreign country.

Symptoms of monkeypox include skin rash, fever, headache, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion and can last up to two to four weeks.

However, local officials have advised that cases of monkeypox are expected to rise worldwide due to “human-to-human transmission” but reportedly does not pose a significant threat.

Anyone with suspected symptoms of monkeypox is asked to call their health care provider or the nearest public health community clinic.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting the National Disease Surveillance Unit, Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm at 604-9090 or 604-9091; or after hours at 376-3809, or 376-3970.