Belgium’s authorities have introduced a mandatory quarantine requirement, but this time not related to the Coronavirus disease.
Belgium has become the first country to oblige travellers to stay self-isolated due to the Monkeypox virus, affecting several countries worldwide.
According to the authorities in Brussels, persons will be required to isolate themselves until their sores subside, which is expected to happen for a period of three weeks.
In this regard, the country’s Risk Assessment Group (RAG), as well as health authorities, have said that people are required to follow 21 mandatory quarantine requirements. They have urged all people who have symptoms to seek medical advice.
According to local media reports, there has been registered an outbreak in the country related to the gay fetish festival known as Darklands, where three persons tested positive.
Regarding the issue, organisers have said that “there’s reason to assume that the virus has been brought in by visitors from abroad to the festival after recent cases in other countries.”
Belgium’s government has warned that those infected would be required to avoid any physical and sexual contact while remaining self-isolated.
Monkeypox is a disease transmitted to humans from animals; while symptoms include a distinct bumpy rash, sore muscles, headache, and fever.
According to authorities in Belgium, the disease is less deadly compared to smallpox, although it belongs to the same family as smallpox, with a mortality rate below 4 per cent; however, experts are concerned about the unusual spread of the disease.
According to the Belgian Institute of Tropical Medicine, the risk of a larger outbreak in the Western European country is low, as reported by the Saudi Gazette.
The microbiologist Emmanuel Andre, who is in charge of the National Reference lab for Coronavirus in Belgium, said that the fourth case of the disease had been confirmed in the country.
“This patient is being treated in Wallonia and is linked to the Antwerp event in which two other people were infected,” Andre pointed out through a statement published on Twitter referring to Darklands, which is a festival held in the port city.
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that there were a total of 92 confirmed cases of Monkeypox registered in 12 different countries. In addition, WHO has said that there are a total of 28 suspected cases under investigation.
Up to this point, the following countries have registered confirmed cases of the Monkeypox: the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Belgium, the United States, Australia, and Canada, according to Saudi Gazette.
