Ministry says no suspected cases of monkeypox in Azerbaijan

The Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan has confirmed that no suspected cases of monkeypox have been recorded in the country to date, Report informs.

The ministry stated that strict epidemiological surveillance is being conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), and adequate resources are available for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of suspected infections.

Monkeypox is a rare zoonotic viral disease, meaning it is primarily transmitted from animals to humans. The incubation period for the disease can range from 5 to 21 days, and the illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. Initial symptoms include fever, severe headache, and lymph node enlargement, followed by a rash stage. The rash lesions develop simultaneously and cover the entire body, eventually scabbing over and leaving scar tissue as they heal.

The ministry emphasized that the infection is transmitted from person to person through prolonged close contact via damaged skin and mucous membranes. Patients and their contacts are not considered contagious until the characteristic clinical symptoms appear. In most cases, monkeypox is self-limiting, meaning uncomplicated cases recover without any treatment. For the majority of patients who experience mild forms of the disease, symptomatic treatment is sufficient.