How dangerous is monkeypox?

Global health officials have sounded the alarm over the rising number of monkeypox cases in Europe and other countries. This is a disease that occurs more commonly in West and Central Africa. According to many health experts, monkeypox is being spread mainly through sex and a high percentage of infected subjects are gay and bisexual men.

Image of a sick person at the beginning of the monkey season.

As recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO), as of May 21, there were 92 cases of monkeypox and 28 suspected cases in 12 countries. The agency believes that in the near future, more cases will appear when surveillance is expanded.

Health officials in other countries do not know the cause of the sudden spread of the virus. Recent infections have been mostly men in the LGBT community. Experts urge this group to 'pay special attention to abnormal points on the body such as rashes, blisters, immediately contact a medical facility if you see related symptoms'.

Monkeypox is a virus that circulates frequently in small African mammals, such as mice and monkeys. The pathogen first appeared in the 1950s, infecting humans in the 1970s.

How dangerous is monkeypox?

During a briefing on May 20, a US public health official said the risk of the disease to the public is quite low at this time.

Monkeypox is in the same family as smallpox, but milder. There are two common strains of monkeypox. The first is the Congo strain, which is more severe, with a mortality rate of 10%. The second strain, concentrated in West Africa, is less severe, usually fatal to 1% of people who contract it. Currently patients in the UK have the West African smallpox strain.

US officials say most people recover fully within two to four weeks. The virus is not as transmissible as COVID-19, making it difficult to create a pandemic of equal magnitude.

Experts believe that the current outbreak of smallpox is spread through close, intimate contact with someone who already has a rash. Thus, the virus is easier to control once the source of infection is identified.

'COVID-19 is mainly transmitted by respiratory droplets and is highly infectious. Monkeypox isn't like that," said Dr. Martin Hirsch, of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Mr. David Heymann, WHO commissioner, said that the virus is being transmitted mainly through sex.

What are experts worried about?

According to the WHO, recent outbreaks are relatively rare, because monkeypox is spreading in a country where the virus was not commonly circulating before. Scientists are trying to better understand the source of infections, to see if the virus changes genetically.

WHO is concerned that the number of cases will increase when people gather, participate in festivals and parties on the upcoming summer vacation.

Symptoms of monkeypox

The WHO says the incubation period for monkeypox is usually 5 to 21 days. The infection process is divided into two stages. The first is the viral invasion phase, lasting from 0 to 5 days, characterized by fever, severe headache, lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), back pain, muscle pain, and weakness (lack of energy). quantity).

The difference between monkeypox and other diseases is the lymphadenopathy. The rest of the symptoms are similar to common chickenpox, measles or smallpox.

The second stage is a rash on the skin, which usually manifests within one to three days of the patient's fever. The rash tends to be more concentrated on the face and extremities than on the trunk. The rash progresses sequentially, from burning (no rash) to pruritic papules (elevated rashes), then vesicles (internal fluid-filled lesions) and pustules (yellow fluid-filled lesions). .

Gay and bisexual men are advised by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to be careful, because the four recent infections have all been identified as members of this community. The percentage of patients who are gay or bisexual is also high (57%).

'We strongly recommend that gay and bisexual men pay attention to skin rashes or any unusual lesions and contact a sexual health facility immediately,' Dr Susan said. Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said.

Monkeypox was not previously included in the group of sexually transmitted diseases. However, experts say recent outbreaks could be evidence that the virus has this property.

In which countries did monkeypox appear?

Monkeypox appeared in more than a dozen countries in the last week, such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Israel, Switzerland, Australia and the United States.

After a patient was diagnosed with the disease last week, the US rushed to spend more than $100 million to purchase 13 million doses of the Jynneos smallpox vaccine, which was approved for use against monkeypox in 2019.

The UK government has ordered thousands of additional batches of smallpox vaccine. The country has also rolled out this vaccine for people who may have been exposed to monkeypox virus. In addition to the 5,000 doses that UK health authorities already have, the country has ordered another 20,000 doses.

On May 21, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the country had recorded 11 more cases of monkeypox, bringing the total number of infections in this country to double. It is known that at least six of the monkeypox cases in the UK are gay or bisexual. However, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) insists that most infections are not related to each other. Officials revealed that the first person to test positive for the disease in the UK had recently traveled to Nigeria.

On May 20, Germany recorded its first case of monkeypox, followed by France.

French authorities revealed that the first case in the country was a 29-year-old man with no recent travel history to countries where the virus was circulating.

Portugal also reported five cases of monkeypox in Lisbon, with 15 other suspected cases under investigation.

In neighboring Spain, 23 people are being monitored for suspected monkeypox virus infection.

Sweden and Italy also reported 1 case.

The Belgian Risk Assessment Team has announced a 21-day quarantine for patients with monkeypox. The announcement on May 20 came as three people in the country were diagnosed with the virus that causes monkeypox, which has appeared in more than a dozen countries in the past week. Virologist Marc Van Ranst has reported that Belgium has the fourth case of this disease. He noted that like the previous three cases, the fourth case is related to the Darklands international gay festival that took place in early May in Antwerp.