Outbreak of monkeypox in the Canary Islands from may 15 to june 6, 2022

e202304028

Authors

  • Laura García-Hernández Servicio de Epidemiología y Prevención, Dirección General de Salud Pública. Santa Cruz de Tenerife. España.
  • Oscar Guillermo Pérez Martín Servicio de Epidemiología y Prevención, Dirección General de Salud Pública. Santa Cruz de Tenerife. España.
  • Ana Hernández-Aceituno Servicio de Epidemiología y Prevención, Dirección General de Salud Pública. Santa Cruz de Tenerife. España. / Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Servicio Canario de Salud. Santa Cruz de Tenerife. España.
  • Álvaro Torres Lana Servicio de Epidemiología y Prevención, Dirección General de Salud Pública. Santa Cruz de Tenerife. España. / Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de La Laguna. Santa Cruz de Tenerife. España.
  • Eneko Larumbe Zabala Servicio de Epidemiología y Prevención, Dirección General de Salud Pública. Santa Cruz de Tenerife. España. / Fundación Canaria Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias, FIISC. Santa Cruz de Tenerife. España.

Keywords:

Monkeypox, Epidemiology, Surveillance, Close contacts, Contact tracing

Abstract

BACKGROUND // Since May 2022, non-endemic countries reported the appearance of non-imported cases of monkeypox (Mpox). Spain was one of the most affected countries. The objective of the study was to describe the clinical-epidemiological characteristics of the first confirmed cases of Mpox in the Canary Islands and the main difficulties in contact tracing.
METHODS // Retrospective observational descriptive study with confirmed cases of Mpox and their close contacts in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. We conducted a descriptive analysis, using frequencies and percentages for qualitative variables, and median (interquartile range) for quantitative variables.
RESULTS // One hundred and seventy-seven cases of Mpox were reported in the Canary Islands, with a median age of 39 years (32.8-48.3); 46.6% were HIV seropositive, and 6.8% were foreign. The most frequent clinical symptom was anogenital rash (68.8%), and at pustules stage (61.4%). One hundred and three declared risky sexual behaviors. Only fifty-three (30%) collaborated in the identification of close contacts. There were difficulties in: establishing communication with the cases, communicating the isolation measures, requesting tests, and due to delayed sample processing.
CONCLUSIONS // Most common clinical symptom at diagnosis is anogenital rash in pustule stage. Most of the cases report risky sexual relations. The main barriers in contact tracing are the difficulty in contacting cases, the lack of identification data and the lack of experience of health professionals regarding Mpox.

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Published

2023-04-05

How to Cite

1.
García-Hernández L, Pérez Martín OG, Hernández-Aceituno A, Torres Lana Álvaro, Larumbe Zabala E. Outbreak of monkeypox in the Canary Islands from may 15 to june 6, 2022: e202304028. Rev Esp Salud Pública [Internet]. 2023 Apr. 5 [cited 2025 Feb. 12];97:7 páginas. Available from: https://ojs.sanidad.gob.es/index.php/resp/article/view/107