UAE health experts urge caution after first case of monkeypox detected

UAE health experts urge caution after first case of monkeypox detected

Doctors in the United Arab Emirates have urged caution after the first case of monkeypox was detected in the country.

The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) reported on Tuesday the first case of monkeypox, becoming the first Gulf country to detect the disease.

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The patient is a 29-year-old visitor from a West African country and she is receiving the required medical care in the UAE, the official WAM news agency said.

Dr Karthikeyan Dakshinamurthy, a specialist in internal medicine at NMC Royal Hospital Dubai Investment Park, told Al Arabiya English that while the UAE has precautions in place, more cases of monkeypox are likely to be found.

“Monkey pox disease is a viral zoonotic disease that is seen in central and west African nations,” said the doctor.

“The recent surge of cases in non-African nations suggests that it possesses a global threat. Since the UAE is a travel hub with lots of tourists, the likelihood of importing the disease has to be considered.”

The disease is transmitted through direct contact with body lesions, fluids, contaminated clothes or beddings, and respiratory droplets.

Although it’s not as contagious as other viral infections, the