Dutch monkeypox total jumps to 167

The number of monkeypox cases in the Netherlands jumped to 167, the public health institute RIVM said on Wednesday. The increase in cases is more substantial than the weeks before, the RIVM said.

Two weeks ago, there were 60 monkeypox diagnoses in the country.

The monkeypox virus has a long incubation period, the time between infection and showing symptoms. "That makes it difficult to determine how fast the epidemic increases," the RIVM said.

The monkeypox virus originates in Africa. People can contract the virus through close skin contact with someone who carries it. Symptoms include a bumpy rash, fever, headache, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes. The disease is usually relatively mild, but can be fatal if there are complications.

The virus has been making the rounds in various European countries for several weeks. The first Netherlands case was announced on May 20.