In most cases, infection occurs during sexual intercourse, according to the Health Surveillance Director and Dr. Guillermo Sequera, in Paraguay.

Asuncion, December 10 (RHC)-- Mpox cases are increasing slightly each week, said Health Surveillance Director and Dr. Guillermo Sequera warning of the presence of a silent epidemic.   Sequera asked the population to go to health centers at the first symptoms of the disease. According to the Director, so far there are a total of 32 confirmed cases of mpox in the country.

Only in three of the confirmed cases was it possible to identify the contact network, while the rest were community-acquired. The 32 confirmed cases are probably "just the tip of the iceberg," said Sequera, who added that two to five new cases are registered every week. 

Noting that the confirmed cases are mostly people with health conditions who usually undergo medical check-ups, the official warned that patients often minimize the first symptoms. 

The director of Health Surveillance called on the population to seek consultation at the first symptoms and not to wait until the pain of the sores becomes unbearable, as is often the case.   According to Sequera, all the cases detected to date presented mild symptoms and were treated on an outpatient basis. He warned that it is necessary to go for consultation and receive the corresponding medication, since the lesions are almost always very painful. 

In most cases, infection occurs during sexual intercourse, the official said, adding that skin-to-skin contact, which is the main way of contagion, must be intense and prolonged to become infected. 

Regarding the symptoms of the mpox virus, the doctor said: "On the fifth day of contact, headache, fever and general malaise appear; after three more days, the lymph node appears in the neck, and skin lesions, which can be mild on the genitals, only on the neck, or they can be all over the body."