Egypt’s Health Ministry provides lab reagents to test Monkeypox at central laboratories

CAIRO – 1 June 2022: Egyptian Ministry of Health has provided laboratory reagents specialized in diagnosing monkeypox at central laboratories of the ministry, said Spokesperson for the ministry Hossam Abdel Ghaffar.

He also said that training was held for medical personnel to deal with the disease, as well as officials assigned with monitoring and spotting any possible cases.

No Monkeypox cases were spotted in Egypt thus far, said Amr Kandil, head of the Preventive Medicine Sector at the Ministry of Health. He also confirmed that a guideline has been made to deal with the disease and distributed to health affairs directorates, hospitals, and all bodies affiliated with the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Health and Population had also confirmed that monkeypox does not mutate, and it is a DNA-type virus and its spread requires close adhesion with the source of infection, and continued: "We have its vaccinations and researched it for a long time."

The Ministry of Health added that there is no fear from the virus, and that it is a viral disease of animal origin that occurs mainly in forest areas in central and western Africa.

The symptoms of infection with Monkeypox include: fever, rash, and enlarged lymph nodes and may lead to some medical complications.