As health authorities await test results from a suspected Monkeypox case, Minister of Health Ian Gooding-Edghill has confirmed that the country now has capabilities to test for the virus here.And he has assured that authorities are fully prepared to handle any cases and would take steps to prevent any spread, while the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) has urged residents to be extra cautious as they attend Crop Over events.Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George on Tuesday disclosed to Barbados TODAY that there was a suspected case of the disease – in which a Barbadian male with no travel history presented with signs of lesions on his body – and samples were sent for testing.Minister Gooding-Eghill said on Wednesday that while samples from two previous suspected cases were sent off to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad for testing, and returned negative, the latest case is being tested locally.
