More than 500 fishermen in Senegal have reportedly been hit by an infectious skin disease.

The men, from several fishing towns near the capital of Dakar, are said to have contracted the condition while away at sea. 

According to the country’s director of health information and education, they are currently in quarantine while receiving medical treatment,

Senegal’s Ministry of Health and Social Action said measures had been brought in while officials continue to investigate, including a ban on going to sea expected to last for several days. 

A report by the ministry said the symptoms suffered by the men included “lesions on their faces, extremities and, for some, on their genitals” as well as headaches and slightly elevated temperatures.

The first known case is thought to have been a 20-year-old on 17 November reporting symptoms including a blistered rash, swelling of the face, dry lips and redness of the eyes. 

Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, minister of health and social action, on Friday confirmed that the cause of the disease was not viral.