The Medical Research Institute (MRI) yesterday (3) detected the first ever monkeypox case in Sri Lanka, Consultant Virologist, Department of Virology, Medical Research Institute Dr. Jude Jayamaha told yesterday.
A 20 year old male presented to national sexually transmitted disease clinic with fever and skin blisters on November 2, 2022.
He returned from Dubai on November 1 and was having enlarged lymph nodes and was feeling tired. He was suspected to have monkeypox. Several samples were collected and sent to MRI on November 2 afternoon.
The Department of Virology, MRI performed monkeypox specific real-time PCR test overnight. Specific target genes were detected in every sample. After careful analysis it was confirmed that the patient was having monkeypox virus yesterday (3).
The MRI has tested six suspected patients for monkeypox since the establishment of real-time PCR assay in July, 2022. This is the first laboratory confirmed case of monkeypox in Sri Lanka and the seventh suspected case tested by MRI.
According to the World Health Organization sources, Monkeypox is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a viral zoonotic infection, meaning that it can spread from animals to humans. It can also spread from humans to other humans and from the environment to humans.
The WHO Director-General declared the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
