As for the treatment, the Ministry of Health is considering a drug called tecovirimat, an oral drug also used to treat smallpox, Xinhua news agency reported.
How is smallpox spread?
Symptoms of the tropical disease, which is spread by close contact, are similar to smallpox and include fever, widespread rash, skin lesions, and swollen lymph nodes, after an incubation period of 5 to 21 days, health officials here said.
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The Ministry of Health also said it was creating a system so local health authorities could test for monkeypox and was urging domestic cases to be reported promptly.
The department said whether to provide the vaccine to healthcare workers, laboratory workers and medical center staff who request to be vaccinated will also be discussed by officials.
The The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a global health emergency in the midst of a global pandemic.
As for Japan’s smallpox vaccine supply, the ministry said it is now sufficient.
A task force to deal with the monkeypox outbreak has been established in Japan. It is headed by Deputy Chief of the Cabinet Office in charge of Crisis Management Takashi Murata.
Source: IANS
