The viral disease was detected in a patient in Lower Austria, the state office confirmed on Friday afternoon of the APA. The person concerned – a 36-year-old man from the St. Pölten district – had given a positive PCR test at the end of the previous year. A sequencing of the sample subsequently finally confirmed the monkeypox suspicion.
The Lower Austrian is likely to have been infected during a trip to Spain. As the state office directorate said on APA request, the 36-year-old had a mild course of the disease. He is already on the mend. “Further information is not possible for data protection reasons,” emphasized the authority.
The first monkeypox case in this country was detected in Vienna at the end of May. A 35-year-old was admitted to a clinic in Vienna-Favoriten on the night of May 22 with typical symptoms such as a slight fever and pustules on his face. The man was able to leave the hospital again.
According to the Ministry of Health, monkeypox is a viral disease. They are caused by the monkeypox virus. Basically, monkeypox is rarely transmitted to humans. In the endemic areas, the virus is common in rodents, such as squirrels or rats. Monkeys are considered false hosts. However, contact with these animals occasionally causes the virus to be transmitted to humans – so-called zoonosis. In humans, the viruses usually trigger a mild smallpox-like illness. So far, human-to-human transmission has been classified as rare, the Ministry of Health emphasized. At the moment, however, it is happening with unusual frequency.
Source: Nachrichten
