A 22-year -old girl, residing in Levante Ligure , who returned from the Canary Islands on Monday, is hospitalized in the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the San Martino Polyclinic in Genoa because she allegedly contracted monkeypox .

It is the first case in Liguria. The Polyclinic confirms that "investigations are underway to register the first case of monkeypox in Liguria, which meets the definition indicated by the WHO".

"I understand the concern, but it is a completely different situation, incomparable to the one we have already experienced with Covid", the words of Minister Speranza . "Our surveillance network, both at European and national level, has been activated as it should be and therefore we must follow it with great attention", he then continued.

As for the smallpox vaccine, "it is an extremely unlikely eventuality and will in any case remain a rare and limited event, if it becomes necessary", commented Massimo Andreoni , director of the complex operational unit of infectious diseases of Rome Tor Vergata and scientific director of the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (Simit).

"In fact, we speak of the possibility of vaccination only in reference, as the circular of the Ministry of Health also foresees, to the highest risk contacts such as health workers, in case they have come into close contact with infected subjects. however, since health workers are equipped with means and tools of protection, the risk of becoming infected is minimal. This is also because this disease is low contagious. In fact, we are seeing a spread with modest numbers, which we expected ". If one decides to proceed with vaccinations, he stresses, "it would therefore be a very limited number of cases, both among health workers and close contacts".

(Unioneonline / vl)

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