The first case of monkeypox was discovered in Israel on Friday, amid concerns over the spread of the disease around the world.
An Israeli man in his 30s who had returned from a trip to Western Europe arrived at the emergency room at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv symptoms suspected as being of monkeypox.
He is in light condition and will be hospitalized for evaluation and supervision in an isolated room.
The Ministry of Health confirmed that a man in his 30s came to Ichilov Hospital with symptoms that indicate suspicion of monkeypox after being exposed to a patient with monkeypox abroad.
The Ministry is conducting an epidemiological investigation and coordinating with Ichilov Hospital a transfer of clinical specimen for confirmation of the diagnosis at the Biological Institute.
The Ministry of Health called on those who have returned from abroad and developed a fever and a blistering rash to contact their physician and said it will continue to provide updates on the latest developments.
The Israeli case was discovered hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) called an emergency meeting to discuss the recent outbreak of monkeypox, after more than 100 cases were confirmed or suspected in Europe.
In what Germany described as the largest outbreak in Europe ever, cases have been reported in at least eight European countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom - as well as the United States, Canada and Australia.
At the same time, scientists do not expect the outbreak to evolve into a pandemic like COVID-19, according to Reuters.
Monkeypox is usually a mild viral illness, characterized by symptoms of fever as well as a distinctive bumpy rash.
The first European case was confirmed on May 7 in an individual who returned to England from Nigeria. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) on Wednesday confirmed a single case of monkeypox virus infection in an adult male with recent travel to Canada.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)