Five key questions about monkeypox, which has already registered more than 100 cases in 15 countries

Is this a new disease? Is it serious? How does it spread? Are there vaccines? What should I do if I have symptoms? These are some of the questions about monkey pox of which 110 cases have already been reported in 15 countries where it is not endemic, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue an epidemiological alert.

According to the WHO database, to date 110 cases have been reported laboratory confirmed in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the United States.

In addition, there were 93 suspected cases in these countries and in three others: Argentina (notified by the Ministry of Health yesterday), Austria and Greece.

Is this a new disease?

No. According to the WHO, the monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus that causes the disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, but less severe. Although smallpox was eradicated in 1980, monkeypox continues to occur in Central African countries and west, where it is an endemic disease.

The symptoms are fever, a characteristic of extensive rash and, often, swollen lymph nodes.

The incubation period for monkeypox can be from 5 to 21 days. The febrile stage of the disease usually lasts 1-3 days with symptoms including fever, severe headache, lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), back pain, myalgia (muscle pain), and severe asthenia (absence of energy).

The febrile stage is followed by the rash stage, which lasts 2 to 4 weeks. Lesions progress from macules (lesions with a flat base) to papules (hard and painful sores) to vesicles (filled with clear fluid) to pustules (filled with pus), followed by of crusting.

Is it bad?

“In most cases ands a benign and self-limited disease, i.e., he went alone. The likelihood of complications is very low and the mortality rate is lower, so in that sense you have to be calm, ”infectious disease doctor Leda Guzzi told Télam.

And he explained that “the treatment is symptomatic. Wounds are cleaned with a physiological solution and usually covered. Ibuprofen or Paracetamol may also be indicated for fever or general malaise.

The specialist, a member of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases (SADI), explained that only in severe cases can antivirals such as tecovirimat or cidofovir be considered, but only in very serious situations such as pneumonia or encephalitis, that is, conditions that compromise the patient’s life because right now they are treatments that have some proven effectiveness in vitro, some clinical studies but they are also not standard of care ”.

How does it spread?

“The infection can spread when there is close contact with an infected person (or infected animal). In any case, there is a very low risk of transmission to the general population, ”said virologist Humberto Debat, a member of the Argentine Inter-institutional SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Project (PAIS).

He added: “Person-to-person delivery Mainly occurs through large respiratory droplets. Since the drops can’t travel very far, prolonged frontal contact is necessary. ”

Debate explained that “the virus it can also enter the body through body fluidss, damaged material or indirect contact with damaged material ”.

In that sense, “monkeypox has not been reported as a sexually transmitted infection, although it can be transmitted through direct contact during sexual intercourse. with infectious skin lesions, however in this particular outbreak there is some relevant data, for example in the UK all cases reported on May 16 were men who identified themselves as men having sex with men with predominantly sores in the genital area. “

“The unusually high frequency of observed transmission and human-to-human transmission with no history of travel to endemic areas (African rain forest) suggests an increased likelihood of virus spread through close contact touch such as sexual activities, “he said.

Are there vaccines?

“The vaccine we have has a substance called vaccinia, which is a virus of the same genus of human and monkey pox. This vaccine is very effective against humans and is 85% effective against monkeypoxGuzzi explained.

And he continued: “People who received this vaccine, who were born before 1972, were estimated to have some level of protection. People born after that date, after the smallpox was eliminated, we did not receive that vaccine before. there. is a significant percentage of the population that is susceptible. “

The infectologist pointed out that “by stopping application, this vaccine has stopped working in most countries of the world; however, it can be reproduced and reproduced and there are countries like the United Kingdom and the United States. who began to re -evaluate their production.

What should I do if I have symptoms or come in contact with a suspected case?

Yesterday, the National Ministry of Health, on notification of the first suspected case in the country, issued a series of recommendations: Anyone showing matching symptoms (especially hives) and a history of travel to places if where there are cases and/ or involve some risk exposure with suspected, probable or confirmed cases, should take steps to social isolation (not attending school, work, social events, etc.), implement respiratory protection measures (proper use of mask, ventilated environment and distance from other people) and consult immediately with the health system.

Close contact with infected people is the most important risk factor for virus infection.

To date, exposure in a case has been considered if there has been exposure without respiratory protection (particularly relevant for health workers); direct physical contact, including sexual intercourse, or contact with contaminated materials such as clothing or bedding.

If a person comes in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox during the infectious period – between the onset of symptoms of the case until all the scabs of the skin lesions disappear – must adhere to a series of care and remain under strict clinical-sanitary supervision within 21 days from the last contact.

First of all you should check your temperature twice a day; As long as you remain asymptomatic, you can continue with daily activities, but you should remain alert to symptoms. You should not donate blood, cells, tissue, organs, breast milk, or semen while under symptom monitoring.

If there is a rash, it should be isolated and evaluated as a suspected case. In addition, a sample must be collected for laboratory testing to detect monkeypox.

Source: Telam