The ministry said no cases of monkeypox had been detected within the country. The virus originates in wild animals like rodents and primates and occasionally jumps to people, where it can be transmitted through close contact. Until recently, most human cases had been in central and west Africa, where the disease is endemic.
But health officials in Portugal, Spain and the UK have all reported multiple cases recently, and people in the US and Italy have also been confirmed to be carrying the virus.
The Health Ministry said it had instructed medical staff to be on the lookout for symptoms of the disease, which can be fatal in up to 10 percent of cases, according to the World Health Organization.
Most patients only experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. READ MORE
