Brazil sanitary authority urges action to fend off monkeypox

Faced with the surge in monkeypox cases, Brazil’s sanitary agency Anvisa issued a note reinforcing the need to adopt “non-pharmacological” measures in airports and aircraft—like social distancing, mask use, and frequent hand washing—to delay the entry of the virus in Brazil.

These recommendations, the note goes on, serve to protect not only against smallpox and COVID-19, but also against a number infectious diseases.

Given the current scenario, the Ministry of Health has created a situation room to monitor the monkeypox landscape in Brazil. Announced Monday evening (May 23), the move aims to keep track of suspected cases and help define the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of the disease.

“Thus far, no suspected cases of the disease have been notified in the country,” the Ministry of Health declared. The ministry says it has sent states a risk report, with guidelines for health agents and the relevant information available so far.

Monkeypox is a little-known disease, as its incidence is higher in Africa. So far, as per data from the World Health Organization (WHO), 131 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed outside the African continent, along with another 106 suspected cases since the first was reported, on May 7.