Guyana’s confirmed monkeypox patients may have been infected through personal, sexual contact

There have been two confirmed monkeypox cases in Guyana and local epidemiologist Dr. Anand Persaud says that these patients may have been infected through personal or sexual contact with others.

Dr. Persaud, during an engagement with reporters on Friday, said that numerous confirmed cases of monkeypox have been recorded in neighbouring countries.

In Guyana, the first confirmed case was a 57-year-old man, while the second was a woman in her 30s. Both cases are unrelated and neither person travelled recently, raising concerns about the spread of the virus locally.

Dr. Persaud, however, noted that local health authorities have their suspicions about how those persons were infected.

“… in the first case it’s more than likely the person would have had personal contact with an individual infected.

“… for the second case we are suspecting that more than likely that individual would have also had personal contact but more specifically sexual contact with someone who was infected,” Dr. Persaud highlighted.

In both instances, Dr. Persaud said that contract tracing has been ongoing. As such, the local health authorities are monitoring those who have been in contact with the infected patients.

According to Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Shazeema Shaw, all infected monkeypox patients will exhibit skin rashes. And so, those people who might have been infected and spread it to the confirmed cases, should have those signs.

Meanwhile, during Friday’s engagement, the doctor incharge of the National Infectious Diseases hospital at Liliendaal, Georgetown, Dr. Tracey Bovell said that the facility is now equipped to isolate seriously ill patients with monkeypox.

This forms part of the Health Ministry’s efforts at countering the spread of monkeypox.