On the 20th local time, WHO held a technical advisory group meeting to discuss monkeypox information and coping strategies. There are currently approximately 80 confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide, with 50 more to be confirmed. As surveillance expands, more cases may be identified in the future. WHO states that monkeypox is generally endemic in certain animal populations in some countries and occasionally Infect locals and travelers. But there have been cases of monkeypox in 11 countries so far,This is atypical as it occurs in countries where monkeypox is not endemic. Monkeypox is mainly spread through close contact. The risk of contracting monkeypox is higher if you are in close contact with someone who is contagious, including health workers, family members, and sexual partners.High-risk groups include health workers, family members, and sexual partners.
Transmission Electron Microscope Capture Monkeypox virus particles. Source: British “New Scientist” magazine website
What exactly is monkeypox? Are there treatments or vaccines currently available? Will it become another pandemic? The British “New Scientist” magazine website gave the answers to these monkeypox-related questions in a report on the 19th.
01< /span>What is monkeypox? What are the symptoms?
Monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which is commonly transmitted in monkeys in Central and West Africa, but occasionally in humans. The monkeypox virus was first identified in laboratory monkeys in 1958, and the first human case of monkeypox infection was found in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970.
UKHSA says Initial symptoms of monkeypox infection include fever, headache, muscle aches, Back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and fatigue. Patients also sometimes develop a rash,usually on the face and then elsewhere on the body.
02How does monkeypox virus spread?
The World Health Organization says Monkeypox can spread through contact with large droplets exhaled by others, contact with infected skin lesions, and contaminated material. Some might interpret this as airborne transmission of monkeypox virus, but the World Health Organization does not use this term.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that human-to-human transmission is thought to occur primarily through large respiratory more than a few feet, so prolonged face-to-face contact is required.
UKHSA said monkeypox virus does not normally spread easily from person to person and the risk of infection to Britons “remains very low”.
Monkeypox can also occur through close human-to-human contact or through contact with clothing, towels, or bedding used by an infected person spread. UKHSA says it is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, but it can be spread through skin-to-skin contact.
In parts of West and Central Africa, humans can also contract the virus from infected wild animals. If someone is bitten by an infected animal or has touched the blood, body fluids, blisters, or scabs of an infected animal, they can get the virus. Additionally, monkeypox can also be spread by eating undercooked meat from infected animals. span>03Monkeypox has How deadly?Monkeypox infection is usually mild and most people recover within a few weeks without treatment.US Centers for Disease Control In Africa, 1 in 10 people infected with monkeypox may die.The monkeypox virus, according to WHO There are the West African clade and the Congo Basin (Central Africa) clade.The virus has a documented case fatality rate of about 1% in the West African clade and possibly 10% in its Congo Basin clade Currently, only West African branched strains have been found in the UK, and virus sequencing information elsewhere is unknown.In addition, the World Health Organization Children infected with monkeypox are more likely to develop severe disease than adults, said the study. Infection during pregnancy can also lead to complications, including stillbirth.4What treatments or vaccines are there? The antiviral drug tecovirimat is approved in the United States and Europe for the treatment of monkeypox, smallpox and cowpox. In animal studies, tecovirimat significantly improved the survival of animals infected with high doses of monkeypox. Additionally, the Jynneos vaccine is approved in the U.S. and Europe to prevent monkeypox and smallpox in people over 18. In addition, those who are old enough to have been vaccinated against smallpox in infancy should also have some protection. The United Kingdom and the United States ended routine smallpox vaccination in 1971 and 1972, respectively. 05Is the latest outbreak caused by a new monkeypox strain? This is still unknown. Multiple cases have been reported in multiple countries, suggesting that this strain is more transmissible than others, but occasional events, such as the virus being carried by “super-spreaders”, can also help the virus spread more widely. Researchers are sequencing samples of the virus, which will reveal whether the strain is significantly different from previously identified West African branch strains, and whether all known cases are related. 06 strong>Will it become another pandemic? Contact tracing is expected to control this monkeypox outbreak like all previous monkeypox outbreaks. The UK is providing vaccines to contacts deemed to be at high risk of infection to help ensure the virus does not continue to spread. While researchers haven’t completely ruled out the possibility of a pandemic, they believe the likelihood is low. However, some researchers have previously warned that monkeypox is a growing threat. A 2018 paper noted: “Monkeypox is likely to emerge as an important human pathogen.”
