8 deaths from monkeypox in the world, experts: the scale of transmission is expanding

(People’s Daily Health Client Reporter Wang Zhenya) 5 cases in Africa, 2 cases in Spain, 1 case in Brazil… As of July 30, the global monkey The death toll from pox has risen to eight. Should I get a monkeypox vaccine? How can I prevent monkeypox on an international flight? How can I treat the painful monkeypox?

People line up at a monkeypox vaccination site in New York, the United States, on July 30. Xinhua News Agency photo

The possibility of large-scale spread of monkeypox is increasing

From May to the end of July, from 11 countries to 70 countries, from 80 to over 20,000 cases , The spread of monkeypox around the world is grim. From breaking through the original epidemic area to human-to-human transmission, and now there are deaths.

“In May, monkeypox was still spreading around the world, and now there are more than 20,000 cases in 70 countries, half of the countries in the world. Judging from the number of cases, this should be It is no longer a small epidemic, but a moderate epidemic, but from the perspective of the country of transmission, monkeypox is considered a large-scale transmission.” Professor Song Jianxin, Department of Infectious Diseases, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, told the People’s Daily Health Client reporter that although my country There are no cases of monkeypox yet, but there is a need to be more concerned.

Spain and the United States are the hardest hit areas for monkeypox. As of July 30, Spain has reported 4,298 confirmed cases, and the United States has accumulated 5,189 cases.

“Monkeypox, as a zoonotic viral disease, has spread to more than 70 countries around the world this time, which is enough to draw our attention.” Xu Xiaowei, deputy director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine A reporter from the People’s Daily Health Client said that from the current development trend, the global spread of monkeypox has a trend of further expansion, and the number of confirmed cases will increase.

On July 23, WHO has declared that the monkeypox outbreak has constituted a “public health emergency of international concern”, which is the highest level of WHO alert.

8 deaths, a lower fatality rate than influenza

As of July 30, the global number of monkeypox deaths has increased to 8. 5 cases in Africa, 2 cases in Spain, and 1 case in Brazil. On July 30, WHO’s European office warned that more deaths were expected.

Xu Xiaowei introduced, “Monkeypox virus mainly has two branches, West African branch and Congo Basin branch. In the case of 8 deaths, the mortality rate is low and lower than that of influenza A.”

Song Jianxin told reporters, “The cause of death from monkeypox infection is similar to that of other pathogens. The monkeypox virus invades the human body, It can attack human brain tissue, lungs and other organs, or cause viremia, etc. and lead to death. Encephalitis is a special lethal factor of monkeypox.”

Although there are deaths, the public should not panic. Xu Xiaowei believes that some of the 8 cases are autoimmune low, and some are HIV patients. For the general healthy population, monkeypox has a lower fatality rate and fewer deaths.

Passengers on international flights should pay special attention to protection

“From the global trend of monkeypox epidemic, the relevant departments of infectious disease prevention and control in China should pay enough attention.” Xu Xiaowei said. Monkeypox has spread to more than 70 countries, and the infectious disease spreads internationally, that is, the distance and time of a flight.

Monkeypox is a contact transmission, mainly through the monkeypox virus, which are mainly pus, body fluids, blood, dander, crusts and so on. The large-scale human-to-human transmission is mainly related to contact with monkeypox infected persons. For passengers on international flights, special attention should be paid to protection.

“Because monkeypox is not like the new crown, it is not necessary to show a negative certificate when taking public transportation such as flights or entering and leaving public places.” Song Jianxin believes that it is possible for asymptomatic infected persons to infect others, monkeys Pox is a bit like herpes zoster. After getting sick, the pox will hurt first and then itch, which is very tormenting.

However, most people have mild symptoms, and about 10% of patients are hospitalized for pain relief.

Xu Xiaowei suggested that passengers taking international flights should pay attention to wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and reducing unnecessary physical contact with other passengers.

Should susceptible people be vaccinated?

From the current epidemiological data, men who have sex with men are the group with the highest infection risk. About 99 percent of cases are men, and at least 95 percent of them are men who have sex with men, said WHO monkeypox expert Rosamund Lewis.

In New York, many citizens have lined up to voluntarily concentrate vaccines, and even some countries in Europe and the United States have begun to purchase monkeypox vaccines in large quantities.

“The monkeypox vaccine currently administered is not a special monkeypox vaccine, but a smallpox vaccine.” Song Jianxin said that smallpox has been eliminated in my country for many years, and there are no monkeypox cases. There is no smallpox vaccine service, and this vaccine is cross-immunization, and there may be no antibodies after vaccination. Most people can recover by themselves, and there is no need to vaccinate at present, unless it is a high-risk group. Instead of getting vaccinated, it is better to take more effective physical protection, that is, avoid contact with infected people and isolate close contacts.

(Operation: Li Ning)