Is #monkeypox another pandemic? Can we treat it, is there a vaccine are some questions arising. Here’s what it is.
The disease is called monkeypox because it was first identified in colonies of monkeys kept for research in 1958. It was only later detected in humans in 1970. It is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some animals. In addition to monkeys, the virus is found in Gambian pouched rats, and African squirrels The use of these animals as food may be an important source of transmission to humans. It is believed that African rodents, such as the ones listed above, serve as the actual reservoir and not monkeys, contrary to its name.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. This is followed or accompanied by the development of a rash which can last for two to three weeks. The rash can be found on the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, eyes, mouth, throat, groin, and genital and/or anal regions of the body. The number of lesions can range from one to several thousand. Lesions begin flat, then fill with liquid before they crust over, dry up and fall off, with a fresh layer of skin forming underneath.
Symptoms typically last two to three weeks and usually go away on their own or with supportive care, such as medication for pain or fever. People remain infectious until all of the lesions have crusted over, the scabs fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed underneath.
Anyone who has symptoms that could be monkeypox or who has been in contact with someone who has monkeypox should call or visit a health care provider and seek their advice.
Is There a Treatment?
While there is no formal treatment, in the European Union and the United States, tecovirimat is approved for the treatment of several poxviruses, including monkeypox. BMJ Best Practice recommends tecovirimat or the smallpox treatment brincidofovir as the first line antiviral treatment if required, alongside supportive care (including antipyretic, fluid balance, and oxygenation). Empirical antibiotic therapy or aciclovir may be used if secondary bacterial or varicella zoster infection is suspected.
Is there a vaccine against monkeypox?
A vaccine was recently approved for preventing monkeypox. Many years of research have led to the development of newer and safer vaccines for an eradicated disease called smallpox, which may also be useful for monkeypox. One of these has been approved for the prevention of monkeypox. Only people who are at risk (for example someone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox) should be considered for vaccination. Mass vaccination is not recommended at this time.
While the smallpox vaccine was shown to be protective against monkeypox in the past, current data on the effectiveness of newer smallpox/monkeypox vaccines in the prevention of monkeypox in clinical practice and in field settings are limited. Studying the use of vaccines for monkeypox wherever they are used will allow for rapid generation of additional information on the effectiveness of these vaccines in different settings.
How can I protect myself and others against monkeypox?
Reduce your risk of catching monkeypox by limiting close contact with people who have suspected or confirmed monkeypox, or with animals who could be infected. Clean and disinfect environments that could have been contaminated with the virus from someone who is infectious regularly. Keep yourself informed about monkeypox in your area and have open conversations with those you come into close contact (especially sexual contact) with about any symptoms you or they may have.
What do you do if you have monkeypox
If you have monkeypox, your healthcare provider will advise if you should be cared for in hospital or at home. This will depend on how serious your symptoms are, whether you have risk factors that put you at risk for more serious symptoms, and whether you can minimize the risk of infecting anyone you live with.
If you are advised to isolate at home, you should not go out. Protect others you live with as much as possible by:
- Isolating in a separate room
- Using a separate bathroom, or cleaning after each use
- Cleaning frequently touched surfaces with soap and water and a household disinfectant and avoiding sweeping/vacuuming (this might disturb virus particles and cause others to become infected)
- Using separate utensils, towels, bedding and electronics
- Opening windows for good ventilation
- Encouraging everyone in the house to clean their hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoiding touching each other
- Covering your rash with clothing or bandages
- Ensuring you and anyone in the room with you wear well-fitting medical masks
- Maintaining at least 1 meter of distance.
Reactions from the Global Community
The rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak represents a global health emergency, the World Health Organization’s highest level of alert, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday.
The WHO label – a “public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)” Tedros told reporters, “Although I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern, for the moment this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners,” Tedros told a media briefing in Geneva. “Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus,” he added.
The White House said the declaration was a “call to action for the world community to stop the spread of this virus.” Raj Panjabi, director of the White House pandemic preparedness office, said a “coordinated, international response is essential” to stop the spread of the disease and protect communities at the greatest risk of contracting it.
The viral disease has been spreading chiefly in men who have sex with men in the recent outbreak, outside Africa where it is endemic.
“The right result is clear – not declaring an emergency at this point would be a historic missed opportunity,” said Lawrence Gostin, a professor at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C., calling the decision politically brave.
The decision should help contain the spread of the viral disease, said Josie Golding, head of epidemics and epidemiology at the Wellcome Trust.
“We cannot afford to keep waiting for diseases to escalate before we intervene,” she said.
At the time, the expert group agreed to reconsider their position on the emergency declaration if the outbreak escalated.
One of the key issues driving a reassessment was whether cases would spread to other groups, particularly children or others who have been vulnerable to the virus in past outbreaks in endemic countries.
Some comments:
9) One month ago, my team at @TheWHN declared #monkeypox a *pandemic* emergency. While the @Who has now agreed it’s an emergency, the WHO has not said it’s a pandemic yet. They still need to. In 2020, WHO only declared COVID a pandemic when it was too late in March 2020. https://t.co/VjcQqtu8i7
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) July 23, 2022
Once again (sigh) – #monkeypox is misnamed. It's a rodent virus, not a simian or ape pathogen. While primates, including humans, can get monkeypox, the carriers in the wild are rodents.
So this is clever, but misleading. And wrong. https://t.co/UZBeSurwgj— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) July 23, 2022
Pressure on WHO to act faster
The WHO and national governments have been facing intense pressure from scientists and public health experts to take more action on monkeypox.
Cases of the viral disease have ballooned since the committee first met at the end of June when there were only about 3,000 cases and now there is a global outbreak of monkeypox, 80% in European countries. So far this year, there have been more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox in more than 75 countries and five deaths in Africa.
Not long ago, while WHO called it an emergency, did not declare it a pandemic yet and they would need to. WHO only declared COVID a pandemic when it was too late in March 2020. However, is Monkeypox as fatal as COVID-19? It does not seem to be as fatal, but time will tell whether it will evolve to be another smallpox.
One of history’s deadliest diseases, smallpox is estimated to have killed more than 300 million people since 1900 alone. But a massive global vaccination campaign put an end to the disease in 1977—making it the first disease ever eradicated.
Credits to WHO and Wikidepedia