A new case of monkeypox was recently diagnosed in Israel, after eight months in which no other reports of the disease were received.
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The case involves an Israeli man in his 50s, who recently returned from Portugal and contracted the virus despite being vaccinated twice. After he contacted his health care provider complaining about an external rash, he was referred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where he was diagnosed with the virus.
An epidemiological investigation into the case revealed that no additional individuals had contact with the man and were exposed to the virus.
Monkeypox was previously prevalent mainly in Central and West Africa but spread to the U.S. and Europe, primarily among people having same-sex intercourse. A vaccination campaign against monkeypox began in Israel last summer, and vaccines are still available in the country.
According to the latest update from the Health Ministry in September, there have been a total of 246 cases of the disease in Israel thus far, with the previous case diagnosed in October 2022.
Around 3,300 individuals have been vaccinated, although many of them have not completed their second dose of the vaccine.
Initially, the vaccine was primarily intended for people living with HIV who contracted a sexually transmitted infection in the year preceding their vaccination, but it’s available to all high-risk groups.
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3,300 individuals have been vaccinated against Monkeypox
(Photo: Hollie Adams/Getty Images)
The Health Ministry emphasized that it’s recommended for individuals at high risk to get vaccinated against the virus.
"The vaccine is highly effective, especially when both doses are administered. However, sometimes vaccinated individuals can still become infected if they come into contact with someone who has a high viral load. Nevertheless, symptoms in vaccinated individuals tend to be milder. Therefore, it’s important to get vaccinated, especially as we approach the summer months and the travel season abroad,” according to the ministry
The epidemiological investigation of the current case "revealed that the man didn’t have any additional sexual partners following his infection, and we’re not aware of any individuals in Israel who were exposed to the virus,” the ministry added.
The ministry also noted that "there is still no significant increase in the number of cases in Europe, but new cases are being diagnosed in Europe and the United States daily."