Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre confirmed on Tuesday the first case of monkeypox in Panama. The Minister said that it is a 30-year-old man who had contact with a traveler from Europe ".Minister Sucre explained that it is a 30-year-old man who had contact with a traveler from Europe, where the contagion could come from. "The person in Europe called  and told him that he could be infected."In the morning, of Monday, July 4, this person went to the clinic of the Gorgas Commemorative Institute for Health Studies, where he underwent a test that gave a positive result. "

 Sucre said that the person remained isolated at home and today he was transferred to the San Miguel Arcángel hospital.He said that once the case was detected, Minsa activated traceability and possible contacts to contain the spread of the virus. He said that the patient is fully established, physically and very well, and does not have any type of complications. “He is going to be given support treatment, which is a symptomatic treatment to control the symptoms of fever and other discomforts.”

He stressed that there is no reason to be alarmed, "we can be calm, the Ministry of Health with the Gorgas Memorial Institute maintains epidemiological surveillance, traceability of the individual, and genomic surveillance permanently."

Sucre said that at this time what is demonstrated is that patients do not necessarily have to be hospitalized or isolated in any essential part, that is, they can be in their residences in a calm way. As this is the first case, it is kept under surveillance, but there is a very low risk of contagion through the respiratory route. "We don’t rule out the possibility because the virus is found in the secretions, but we reiterate that what the epidemiological and scientific evidence is that the main route and form of transmission is through intimate relationships,” added Sucre.

Health alert
 On May 24, Panama declared a health alert, and epidemiological surveillance was redoubled at all points of entry into the national territory, in addition, the corresponding isolation rooms have been set up.

Monkeypox is a virus that is transmitted by direct or indirect contact with blood and body fluids, and its symptoms include fever, headache, swollen glands, lumbar pain, muscle pain, and lack of energy.