The United Arab Emirates announced the first case of monkeypox in the Gulf region on Tuesday. Earlier, Israel had reported the outbreak of monkeypox. The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said the first case of monkeypox was detected in a 29-year-old woman with a travel history of West Africa.

“We have put in place precise mechanisms for diagnosing suspected patients,” the health ministry statement said while insisting it was “fully prepared” to deal with this disease.

The virus can be transmitted through contact with skin lesions or droplets of bodily fluid from an infected person. Monkeypox is not usually fatal, but can cause a fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face.

Also Read: Monkeypox Symptoms and Treatment

While monkeypox is endemic to Africa, however, Europe, North America, Israel, Australia and now the UAE have identified more than 100 cases in recent days.According to the health experts, monkeypox is not likely to prompt big waves of disease like COVID-19, which can be transmitted in the air by people with no symptoms.