COPENHAGEN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The first case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Denmark in a person who tested positive after returning from a trip to Gran Canaria in Spain, the Danish health authorities said on Monday.
"The patient has mild symptoms and is in home isolation," the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) said in a press release.
Monkeypox is an infectious disease that affects humans and certain animals and is spread through close contact, according to the SSI. Fever, headache, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion are all possible symptoms.
Monkeypox generally causes mild symptoms and patients usually require no hospital treatment.
Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke said in a press release that "The Danish health authorities do not anticipate a widespread outbreak of infection, but we are closely monitoring the situation in order to be as prepared as possible."
On Sunday, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported 59 confirmed cases of monkeypox and at least ten suspected infections in the member states of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). ■