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Cases of monkeypox continue to rise around the world. To treat the sick and try to eradicate the epidemic, treatments and a vaccine exist. Problem: they are still quite difficult to obtain in some countries.
Monkeypox worries scientists around the world. This monkeypox epidemic continues to grow to such an extent that the World Health Organization has just declared a health emergency regarding monkeypox a few days ago.
More than 16,000 officially declared cases
With more than 16,000 officially declared cases worldwide, monkeypox is still in danger of spreading and claiming new victims. If it is only rarely fatal, the disease nevertheless remains really painful and disabling in addition to being contagious. In addition, she has no definitive treatment that has proven effective.
Treatment options
So in an attempt to regulate the epidemic, doctors recommend the use of two molecules.
Tecovirimat was approved in 2018 for the treatment of smallpox in adults and children, but it has not been directly studied in monkeypox. Clinical trials on animals have shown some efficacy in treating all diseases caused by orthopoxviruses, including monkeypox. It is therefore not directly recommended against monkeypox, but the most serious cases can be treated with this drug.
“But in the vast majority of cases, symptomatic treatment is enough. recalls Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo. It is therefore a question of lowering the fever with paracetamol, possibly giving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the event of complications and antihistamines against itching.
A difficulty in supply
The second approved molecule is brincidofovir, or CMX001. It’s an approved treatment for smallpox, and the US CDC is working on creating a protocol for using it for monkeypox, but it may be more toxic to people taking it in that setting.
The problem is that there is a difficulty in supplying these drugs in certain countries, such as the United States in particular, where patients and doctors are struggling to find them.
Dr. Gérald Kierzek summarizes as follows: “For the rare and most serious cases, antivirals will be prescribed: tecovirimat as first-line treatment, then brincidofovir as second-line treatment and cidofovir as third-line treatment. Finally, in cases where antivirals cannot be prescribed (in children or pregnant women) anti-vaccine human immunoglobulins will be the recommended treatment..
Vaccines not widely available
Two vaccines against monkeypox exist but the health authorities first made the choice to vaccinate contact cases or people at risk. But as the epidemic progresses, the strategy of action in the face of the virus seems to be changing.
A vaccination center against monkey pox has opened its doors in Paris, in the 13th arrondissement, in recent days. Objective: preventively vaccinate people at risk and much less post-exposure. To hope to effectively eradicate this epidemic of cases.