Number of monkeypox cases rises to 10 in Finland

The total number of monkeypox infections in the country has increased to 10 as five new monkeypox infections have been diagnosed in the recent period, said the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a press release on Tuesday.

All of these infections have been diagnosed on men.

The first case of suspected monkeypox viral infection has been spotted in Finland in late May.

Around 5,200 monkeypox cases have been diagnosed worldwide since mid-May. The highest numbers of cases have been reported in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal and the United States. There have been cases in a total of 51 different countries.

Monkeypox is not easily transmitted from person to person, and it is not typically transmitted in brief everyday contacts. The risk of monkeypox spreading more widely among the population is low. This year, most of the infections outside Africa have come through sexual contact.

Monkeypox is typically accompanied by a skin condition with papules or blisters for which there is no other explanation. Before the skin reacts, other typical symptoms of infection may appear, such as fever or headache.

Treatment of monkeypox is symptomatic, and the disease usually goes away on its own in a few weeks.

A serious form of the disease is possible among patients whose immune defences have been weakened by other illnesses or by medical treatment.