Cases of monkeypox have been reported in the UK, Portugal, Spain and the USA.
The increase in cases of monkeypox, a viral disease that first appeared in monkeys and is mostly seen in West and Central Africa and is transmitted by close contact, raises concerns. This is because the disease has spread, albeit very rarely, to other parts of the world.
Monkeypox, a virus that causes fever and a raised rash on the skin. There are two main strains of the disease, which is usually mild. The Congo strain, which causes more severe disease, carries a 10 percent risk of death. The risk of death of the West African strain is 1%. It is reported that 9 cases recorded in the UK are caused by the West African strain.
“Extraordinary”
“Historically, very few cases have moved outside of these areas. Before this year (outside West Africa) only eight cases were reported,” said Jimmy Whitworth, professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, describing the latest situation as “highly unusual”. .
Portugal has recorded 14 confirmed cases of monkeypox, while Spain is testing 23 possible cases. Seven of these cases were confirmed. There were no cases of monkeypox in Portugal or Spain before. Sweden also reported one case. In Italy, authorities confirmed one case and reported two suspected cases.
One case was also detected in the USA. The Massachusetts State Department of Public Health confirmed yesterday that a man who had recently traveled to Canada had been diagnosed with monkeypox infection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory determined that the infection was caused by the monkeypox virus.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health noted that the CDC and local health boards were working on contact tracing, that the detected case did not pose any risk to the public, and that the hospitalized person was in good condition.
The Canadian Department of Public Health also made a late statement that it was aware of the monkeypox cases in Europe and reported that it was following the current situation closely.
Public health officials in Montreal, Canada, noted that 17 suspected cases were being investigated today.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also reported that no cases of monkeypox have been encountered in the United States this year. Texas and the states of Maryland, neighboring the capital Washington, announced in 2021 that the virus was detected in two people who had recently traveled to Nigeria.
How is the virus transmitted?
The department reported that monkeypox virus can be transmitted by bodily fluids, blisters and wounds caused by the virus on the skin, contact with quilts, sheets or clothing contaminated with this liquid and wound, or by respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact.
Monkeypox virus is transmitted from animals to humans, and more rarely from person to person. This smallpox virus, which was first seen in monkeys in 1958, is mostly carried by rodents today.
The way the virus spreads in the last detected cases surprises experts. The reason for this is that the cases in the UK, whose number was 9 as of May 18, are not related to each other. It is only known that the first patient, confirmed on May 6, had recently traveled to Nigeria.
Experts therefore warn against wider transmission as there may be unreported cases.
The UK Health Safety Agency reported that the latest cases were mostly seen among men who have had homosexual relationships, and advised these people to be aware of the situation.
Smallpox vaccine can be effective
The agency’s spokesperson said that there is no vaccine developed for monkeypox, but that the smallpox vaccine provides some protection. The UK has started providing vaccine access to some healthcare workers and those likely to be exposed to monkeypox virus. The spokesperson said, “People who requested the vaccine have been vaccinated,” but did not explain how many people have been vaccinated so far.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), data reveal that the vaccines used to eradicate smallpox are also 85% effective against the monkeypox virus.
Some countries, including America, have large stocks of smallpox vaccine in preparation for the pandemic.
WHO noted that experts are doing genetic mapping to understand whether the viruses are related or not.
Why have cases appeared now?
A possible scenario behind the increase in monkeypox cases is the increase in the number of travelers as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
“My theory is that there are a lot of cases in West and Central Africa. There are more travelers. That’s why we’re seeing more cases,” said Jimmy Whitworth, international professor of public health.
Monkeypox is on the radar of virologists because it belongs to the smallpox family, although it causes milder disease.
Smallpox was eradicated by vaccines in 1980, and vaccination has since been discontinued. Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at the University of California, says the termination of vaccination campaigns has led to an increase in cases in areas where monkeypox is endemic.
Rimoin stresses that it is important to urgently investigate new cases. Studies may give clues that the virus is spreading in a new way or that there is a change in the virus.
Experts urge the public not to panic.
“This virus is not going to cause a national epidemic like COVID, but there is a significant outbreak of a serious disease. We have to take that seriously,” Whitworth said.
Pharmaceutical company Siga receives requests for smallpox medicine from Europe
American pharmaceutical company Siga Technologies reported that the smallpox drug it manufactures is in demand for use in the treatment of monkeypox cases.
Siga CEO Phil Gomez told Reuters news agency today that they have not yet supplied the drugs, but that the company is “in good standing” with its drug supply.
The drug, which is approved for use in the treatment of viruses belonging to the orthopox family, including smallpox in the USA, monkeypox and cowpox in Europe, is in the government’s stocks as part of the fight against the pandemic.
“Due to the epidemic in Europe, we have received orders and we are responding to them. We are in contact with our colleagues in Europe to find the best ways to support the fight against the disease,” Gomez said, without going into details about the request for drug supply.
The value of the shares of Siga Technologies, headquartered in New York, rose 19 percent today.
Pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, headquartered in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, announced that it has signed a contract with a European country, which it did not name, for the supply of the smallpox drug Imvanex, which it manufactures.