Monkey pox infection in Oslo

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has received information that a foreigner who visited Oslo on May 6-10.

An infected person is a person traveling from a European country with an outbreak of monkey pox. The person visited Oslo on 6-10 May and had symptoms of the disease during his stay. However, the diagnosis was not made until the person returned home. 

Oslo Municipality is currently working with the National Institute of Public Health to map those potentially exposed to infection. Knowing who may have been exposed to the infection will allow us to provide this information to those concerned. FHI is also in contact with health Service in the person's home country to more accurately determine where the person was during their stay in Oslo. 

We will contact all close contacts

Any close contact with an infected person will be established and asked to observe the symptoms of monkey pox. The most common symptoms are fever and generally feeling unwell, followed by a rash and swollen glands.  

The most common infection with monkey pox occurs through direct contact infection. Indirect contact infection (via bedding and etc.) and drop route may occur. In order for a droplet infection to occur, it is required usuallyclose contact for a long time (about an hour). 

FHI helps the municipality of Oslo

– It is no surprise that people infected with monkeypox could have been in Norway. Health Service must be prepared for this, says Preben Aavitsland, chief physician of the National Institute of Public Health.  

The National Institute of Public Health has developed procedures and recommendations on how the health service should deal with people who may be infected.  

- We are currently helping the Municipality of Oslo to inform people with whom the traveler has had close contact during their stay. It is too early to assess the risk of contracting any of them. The risk of infection in the general population is believed to be very low, says Aavitsland. 

Note: The National Institute of Public Health collaborates with the City of Oslo in to inform people that could be at risk of infection. We will contact them. In the interests of patient privacy, the authorities will not disclose the patient's gender and age, place of departure, place of residence or activities performed by the patient during their stay.