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SSJ Monitors Workers at Hotel Where Tourist with Monkeypox Stayed

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – The Jalisco Ministry of Health is observing a dozen employees of the Puerto Vallarta hotel where a tourist who was diagnosed with monkeypox stayed, and who fled to Dallas on June 4.

The 48-year-old male, a native and resident of Dallas, Texas, and his partner flew to Puerto Vallarta on May 27 for the city’s Gay Pride celebrations. On May 30th he began to experience symptoms of Monkeypox – cough, chills, muscle pain and pustule-like lesions on his face, neck and body.

On June 3, he contacted a doctor in Texas to report his situation, who recommended that he go for medical attention. He then went to a private hospital in Puerto Vallarta and, due to the suspicion of monkeypox, he was instructed to take blood tests and isolate himself, which he refused to do. Instead, he left the hospital, and continued with his vacation.

The Texas doctor notified the CDC who, in turn, notified the National Center for International Liaison (CNEI) of the General Directorate of Epidemiology (DGE). After being notified by the SSJ (Jalisco Health Secretary) on June 4, the case was immediately followed up on by Sanitary Region VIII Puerto Vallarta personnel, who were unable to locate or contact the infected individual.

On June 6, the CDC notified the CNEI that the patient traveled to the USA on June 4 without specifying airline, flight or time. On June 7, CNEI reported the results of the PCR test were positive for Orthopoxvirus DNA, and is awaiting confirmation from the CDC.

At a press conference, the Ministry of Health’s director of Public Health, Gabriela Mena Rodíguez, pointed out that they are monitoring the hotel workers, to rule out that any of them are infected.

However, he emphasized that this type of disease is not spread through the air, like Covid-19, but must be a direct contact with the affected part. He added that the symptoms start to appear between day 5 and day 21, so it cannot yet be ruled out that there are more cases.

Since anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk, and the identity of those who were in contact with the affected man is unknown, the SSJ calls on all who attended Puerto Vallarta’s Gay Pride celebrations between May 27 and June 4 to monitor their health status. If monkeypox symptoms present themselves, seek immediate medical attention.

Free and confidential medical assessment and testing are available at the Regional Public Health Laboratory, adjacent to the Roberto Mendiola Orta Health Center located at 200 Rivera del Río Street, Romantic Zone, El Remance, Puerto Vallarta, with hours from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Mena Rodíguez pointed out that the body is designed to withstand monkeypox, which is more contagious but not more dangerous than smallpox, so patients recover in a matter of weeks.

Sources: Tribuna de la BahíaVallarta Independiente

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