Chile: Monkeypox cases surpass 200

Chile registered its first monkeypox case in mid-June.

"From June 17 to August 18, 2022, Chile ... has confirmed 207 cases, three cases are under investigation," the health ministry said on Friday.

According to the ministry, 130 people have been discharged from the hospital.

Most of the patients are from the capital region and 13% of those infected traveled abroad within the past three weeks.

The health ministry specified that 15% of the patients contracted monkeypox from somebody already infected with the disease.

In July, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Ghebreyesus announced that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.

Most people usually recover from monkeypox within a few weeks without treatment. According to the WHO, the disease can be more severe in young children, pregnant women, and individuals who are immunocompromised.

The monkeypox virus is not easily transmitted and usually spreads through close physical contact, including sexual contact, with an infected individual. The virus can enter the human body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, eyes, nose and mouth, and via bodily fluids. Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease (spread between animals and people). It originates in animals like rodents and primates and occurs in remote parts of Central and West Africa.

According to the WHO, over 35,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide across over 90 countries and territories, and so far, 12 deaths have been attributed to the disease.