"In a laboratory examination of a sample from the suspicious case of the man who is being treated at Attikon Hospital, no monkeypox virus was detected, while the sample was positive in two repeated tests for the chickenpox virus (varicella - chickenpox)," EODY said on Sunday.
On Saturday, EODY said that an English tourist, possibly infected with monkeypox, was being treated at Attica hospital, which was awaiting lab test results.
According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO), there are currently over 90 confirmed monkeypox cases reported across 11 non-endemic countries. Around 28 suspected cases are pending investigations. No monkeypox-related deaths have been reported so far.
Several countries in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) have confirmed cases of monkeypox, according to the WHO. Cases have also been reported in Australia, Canada and the United States.
The WHO said on Sunday that "cases have mainly but not exclusively been identified amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) seeking care in primary care and sexual health clinics."
According to the WHO, most people usually recover from monkeypox within a few weeks without treatment, but the disease can be more severe in young children, pregnant women, and individuals who are immunocompromised. The symptoms are initially flu-like, such as fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes, which are then followed by a widespread rash.
The monkeypox virus is not easily transmitted and usually spreads through close physical contact, including sexual contact, with an infected individual. The virus can enter the human body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, eyes, nose and mouth, and via bodily fluids. Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease (spread between animals and people). It originates in animals like rodents and primates and occurs in remote parts of Central and West Africa.