 The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs is monitoring the current situation of monkeypox that has been identified in several countries around the world during the month of May 2022. To date, no case of monkeypox has been diagnosed in St. Lucia. Monkeypox is a rare viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It is found mostly in areas of Africa. Monkeypox virus is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the virus from an infected human, animal or material contaminated with the virus. Human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets. Other human-to-human methods of transmission include direct contact with body fluid or lesion material and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linens. Approximately 7 to 14 days after exposure to the monkeypox virus, people may develop flu-like symptoms which include fever, headache, muscle ache, back pain, exhaustion and swelling of lymph nodes. Within 1 to 3 days, sometimes longer, after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash which often begins on the face then spread to other parts of the body. The illness typically lasts for 2 to 4 weeks and can cause death in 1 to 10 percent of people contracting the disease. Vaccination against smallpox offers some level of cross-protection against monkeypox. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs is encouraging everyone to be vigilant and to seek medical care if they develop fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes or a rash among others. Let us continue to practice the public health measures of wearing the mask when in public, frequent washing of hands with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer and to avoid crowded spaces. These measures reduce your risk of contracting monkeypox virus. The Ministry of Health will continue to be vigilant for the early detection and management of any case of monkeypox imported dysinflucia. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs will provide updates on monkeypox as more information becomes available.