Health

Monkeypox Not Exclusive To MSM

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Health experts are still seeking to get the message out about what monkeypox is and how you can stay safe.

Published

4 years ago

July 31, 2022

Our News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Earlier this week, The Bahamas marked a significant step in the fight against monkeypox, with the capacity to now test for the virus in country. Health experts are still seeking to get the message out about what monkeypox is and how you can stay safe.

Close contact is the mode of transmission for the virus that the World Health Organization has declared as a public health emergency. More than 16,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide in more than 70 countries. The Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados are among those in the region that have confirmed one case.

Dr. Nikkiah Forbes, Director of the National HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases program making one thing clear about the virus:

Dr. Forbes explains that certain key populations are presenting with the virus including men who have sex with men (MSM), however that does not make the virus exclusive to that group.

To that end, the virus can be passed from person-to-person through close contact or sustained contact for more than three hours. It can also be spread through exposure to bed sheets or towels from someone who may have blisters or pox associated with the virus.

For more on what you should look out for and how you can prevent the virus, tune in to Our News tomorrow night.