Published on 08:47 PM, June 01, 2022

Portugal, Spain surpass 250 monkeypox cases

Photo: Reuters

Total confirmed cases of monkeypox across Portugal and Spain have surpassed 250, health authorities reported on Wednesday, as the Iberian Peninsula remains the main hot spot of the recent outbreak.

The number of cases in Spain rose to 142 from 132 the previous day, while cases rose to 119 from 100 in Portugal, the countries' respective health authorities said.

Gibraltar's local health authorities identified one case, a Spanish resident who works in the British enclave. It was not immediately clear whether that person was also included in the Spanish tally.

In Portugal, the authority said all confirmed cases of the usually mild viral disease had been found in men, most aged under 40.

Spain did not specify the gender of the patients.

The Iberian Peninsula and Britain are the areas with most cases in the outbreak of monkeypox outside parts of west and central Africa where it is endemic. 

The cases remain under clinical follow-up but all those infected are stable and none have been hospitalised.