Malaga doubles its number of monkeypox virus cases in two weeks

In total, there are 240 active cases in Andalucía, some 67 under investigation and 124 that have been discarded. All of the infected patients have declared themselves to the Andalusian Epidemiological Surveillance System Network (SVEA). Likewise, eight previously confirmed cases are now reported to have fully recovered.

The incubation of the monkeypox virus usually lasts between 6 and 13 days, although in some cases it is up to three weeks. It is a viral infection of animal origin, which is transmitted by very close contact with fluids and mucous membranes, and has characteristics similar to chickenpox and secondary syphilis.

Symptoms manifest with fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. A rash may also appear, usually starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body, including the genitals. The rash changes and goes through different stages before forming a scab that eventually falls off.