Monkeypox

But health officials have little clue where people caught the monkeypox virus. And there's concern the virus may be spreading through the community — undetected ...

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Scientists are trying to answer questions about the outbreak of a disease not known to spread easily between humans.

The United States reported a case of the rare monkeypox disease in Massachusetts on Wednesday. Here's all you need to know about the virus.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Wednesday’s case poses no risk to the public. The CDC says monkeypox cases in the United States are rare. The West African clade is less fatal, with deaths occurring in about one percent of infections. Rimoin said monkeypox is generally thought to have a low reproductive number, based on previous outbreaks — meaning rapid spread is believed to be unlikely. Since smallpox vaccines aren't widely given, the immune protection they provide is lacking for billions around the globe. Monkeypox is a rare disease that comes from the same family of viruses as smallpox. Human-to-human transmission is possible but less common, the World Health Organization said. The virus can also spread through contaminated materials. The sudden surge of cases has prompted concern from public health professionals around the world. The virus doesn’t spread easily between people, although human-to-human transmission typically happens through large respiratory droplets. Scientists have identified two forms of the virus: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade. Early symptoms include fever, muscle aches, chills and fatigue.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is collaborating with Massachusetts health officials on an investigation into a case of monkeypox, ...

The Massachusetts case is the first case reported this year. A second US case was identified later that year, also involving a traveler from Nigeria. It is usually contracted from a rodent or small mammal, and it does not easily spread from one person to another. Symptoms may include a flu-like illness, lymph-node swelling and a rash on the face and body. What we have seen in the United Kingdom, in Spain and in Europe, has been novel and that gives us cause for concern, but, I think appropriately, people should not be afraid of monkeypox right now." However, healthcare providers should be alert to any rash that has features typical of monkeypox.

On 15 May, four additional laboratory confirmed cases have been reported amongst Sexual Health Services attendees presenting with a vesicular rash illness and ...

Intensive public health measures should continue in the United Kingdom. In addition to the ongoing forward and backward contact tracing and source tracing, case searching, and local rash-illness surveillance should be strengthened in the GBMSM and wider community, as well as in primary and secondary health care settings. However, once monkeypox was suspected, authorities in the United Kingdom promptly initiated appropriate public health measures, including isolation of the cases and extensive forward and backward contact tracing to enable source identification. Health workers and other care givers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed monkeypox should implement standard, contact and droplet infection control precautions. Any illness during travel or upon return from an endemic area should be reported to a health professional, including information about all recent travel and immunization history. Although the West African clade of monkeypox virus infection sometimes leads to severe illness in some individuals, disease is usually self-limiting. In contrast to sporadic cases with travel links to endemic countries (see Disease outbreak news on Monkeypox in the United Kingdom published on 16 May 2022), no source of infection has been confirmed yet. The first case identified (index case) developed a rash on 5 May and was admitted to hospital in London, the United Kingdom on 6 May. On 9 May, the case was transferred to a specialist infectious disease centre for ongoing care. The incubation period of monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days. No source of infection has yet been confirmed for either the family or GBMSM clusters. Health authorities in the United Kingdom have established an incident management team to coordinate the extensive contact tracing which is currently underway in health care settings and the community for those who have had contact with the confirmed cases. On 15 May, WHO was notified of four additional laboratory confirmed cases, all identified among GBMSM attending Sexual Health Services and presenting with a vesicular rash. Monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonosis with incidental human infections that usually occur in forested parts of Central and West Africa. It is caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus family.

US, Spain and Portugal announce cases of rare viral infection, two weeks after UK identified its first case.

There are two types of monkeypox virus: the West African clade and Congo Basin (Central African) clade. The five Portuguese patients, out of 20 suspected cases, are all in a stable condition, according to the country’s health authorities. Most people recover from the illness, which is endemic in parts of central and western Africa and usually the result of close contact with infected animals, within a few weeks, but it can be fatal.

Monkeypox can cause puss-filled boils. It appears to be spreading through the community, which is "rare and unusual," a health official said.

There is no need to postulate actual sexual transmission through genital or oral secretions." A total of seven monkeypox cases were diagnosed in the UK between May 6 and May 15. The latest four cases have no known connection with the previous confirmed cases. It doesn't tend to spread easily among people unless they're in close contact. Monkeypox is a rare but potentially deadly illness. Its can cause include flu-like symptoms and puss-filled boils that cover the body.

On Wednesday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said another two cases had been identified in England - one in London and the other in the South East - with ...

we haven't found any travel links as of yet, which could suggest that they may have picked up the infection in some contact here. But he added: "If we see more cases and it continues to spread then there are plans in place to ensure we have more antiviral agents in place to deal with that. Two days before, the health body revealed four cases of the virus had been detected in addition to three others previously found, with all of those people appearing to have been infected in London.

Four new cases of monkeypox have been reported in the UK, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to seven. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is ...

It may be that in a post-pandemic environment, we should give more consideration to understanding the local and global implications of Lassa, monkeypox, Ebola and other rare but serious pathogens. There is no evidence that it is a sexually transmitted infection in the manner of HIV or chlamydia. This may be the first time transmission of monkeypox via sexual contact or intimate activity has been documented. A UKHSA epidemiologist tweeted that this is “highly suggestive of spread in sexual networks”. The cases in Spain may also fall under similar consideration. However, scientists aren’t sure if monkeys are the main animal reservoirs (carriers of the virus), so the name may be a bit of a misnomer. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urgently looking for the source of the outbreak.

The cases point to possible sexual transmission of this cousin of smallpox — a previously unknown method of spread for monkeypox.

"And when you do have a outbreak, it's likely to be bigger because less people in the community are protected." And of course, many scientists didn't think SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19, would mutate to become more contagious, but that's exactly what has happened in the past two years. Then in the 1970s, the world was close to eradicating smallpox. "You have primary cases, in which people get monkeypox from an animal, and they may transmit the disease a few generations — but then that's it," she says. And no one spread the disease to another person. In many cases, people don't spread the virus to anyone else. Forty-seven people caught the disease from the prairie dogs. Scientists don't know yet if the rate of transmission has increased in this current outbreak. "This is a novel route of transmission that will have implications for outbreak response and control." There's a monkeypox outbreak in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain and other European countries. In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine for monkeypox, which also protects against smallpox. The version currently in England is milder.

The monkeypox virus causes fever and a bumpy rash and is usually transmitted to people from wild animals.

WHO is working with national authorities to respond quickly & effectively to these outbreaks"- @DrTedros He had recently travelled to Canada. There are two main strains: the Congo strain, which is more severe – with up to 10 percent mortality – and the West African strain, which has a fatality rate of 1 percent of cases. The smallpox vaccine, which also protects against monkeypox, has been phased out. The UK infections have been reported as the West African strain. “Historically, there have been very few cases exported.

Monkeypox can cause fever, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that looks like chickenpox or syphilis, and while usually mild it has been known to have a ...

It is not clear whether the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) exercised this option over the monkeypox outbreaks or for another reason (countries stockpile smallpox vaccines for defense purposes). It’s also unclear for how long the disease may have been circulating, though WHO’s Van Kerkhove told STAT News it’s “clearly… been going on for a few weeks.” There are also two broad strain of monkeypox, one circulating in West Africa and the other the Congo Basin. The West African strain, which officials believe is involved in the current outbreaks, has a fatality rate of around 1%. The Congo Basin strain has a much higher documented fatality rate, as high as 10%. Beyond that, scientists don’t know the host animal for the virus. While experts believe the pattern of infections indicate the disease spreading in the community, it’s not clear how or if different clusters are connected. Most of the monkeypox cases have been found among gay and bisexual men or men who have sex with men. Cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the U.K., Spain, Portugal and Massachusetts, with more suspected and under investigation. The leader of the WHO’s emerging diseases unit Maria Van Kerkhove told STAT News people should be cautious about fixating on the pattern among men who have sex with men.

The outbreaks are raising alarm because the viral disease, which spreads through close contact and was first found in monkeys, mostly occurs in west and central ...

Smallpox was eradicated by vaccination in 1980, and the shot has since been phased out. Only the first case reported on May 6 had recently traveled to Nigeria. The virus spreads through close contact, both in spillovers from animals and, less commonly, between humans. It is usually mild, although there are two main strains: the Congo strain, which is more severe – with up to 10% mortality – and the West African strain, which has a fatality rate in about 1% of cases. "Historically, there have been very few cases exported. The UK cases have been reported as the West African strain.

Spain and Portugal have detected over 40 suspected cases of monkeypox, a viral infection rarely seen in Europe, with both outbreaks concentrated in the ...

Most people recover from the illness within several weeks. In a statement, health authorities in the Madrid region said they had detected "23 possible cases of monkeypox", indicating all of them were believed to have been transmitted through sexual activity. Another 20 suspected cases of monkeypox – endemic in parts of Central and Western Africa – have been detected in the Lisbon region, Portugal's health ministry said in a statement.

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - A smattering of monkeypox cases in Britain has prompted authorities to offer a smallpox vaccine to some healthcare workers and ...

The United States and Sweden have also reported one case each. This unusual spike in cases outside of Africa could suggest a novel means of spread or a change in the virus, said Anne Rimoin, an epidemiology professor at UCLA in California. “But this is all to be determined”. LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - A smattering of monkeypox cases in Britain has prompted authorities to offer a smallpox vaccine to some healthcare workers and others who may have been exposed, as a handful more cases were confirmed in parts of Europe.

It's a virus that is mainly spread by wild animals in parts of west and central Africa, according to the WHO — but human-to-human transmission can also occur, ...

Preston added: “Monkeypox is not recognized as a sexually transmitted disease — that is, something that’s hugely dependent on being spread through sexual contact. “That’s the worrying thing — the epidemiology would suggest there are other unrecognized cases at the moment. “As a whole, we shouldn’t be panicking — this is not a disease that spreads like COVID-19 within the general population,” Mabbott told Fortune. “Monkeypox isn’t very transmissible in humans. “That would suggest there are other contacts forming the connections between those cases,” he explained. “It’s still somewhat of a mystery as to how this is spreading. The West African variety – the strain currently circulating in Europe and the U.S. – has a recorded fatality rate of around 1%, while the Central African strain’s recorded fatality rate is around 10%. He added that it was concerning to see that some of the cases identified in the U.K. had no links to one another. The cases identified in the U.K. have all been the West African strain of the virus, which is thought to be milder than the Central African strain. Two cases of the virus were identified in London a week after the first case was reported — but authorities said the individuals had no connection to the previously confirmed case, and “where and how they acquired their infection remains under investigation.” It’s a virus that is mainly spread by wild animals in parts of west and central Africa, according to the WHO — but human-to-human transmission can also occur, and it is occasionally exported to other parts of the world when an infected person travels. Canada is investigating 13 suspected cases of the disease, with the U.S. patient reported to have recently traveled to the country. The first case associated with the current outbreak was reported in the U.K. on May 7 in a person who had recently traveled to Nigeria, where they are believed to have contracted the disease.

A handful of cases of monkeypox have now been reported in Europe or are suspected, BUT should South Africa be worried?

The case fatality ratio of monkeypox has varied between 0 and 11 % in the general population and has been higher among young children. Only the first case reported on May 6 had recently traveled to Nigeria. Monkeypox occurs in Central and West Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests.

“We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay if ...

The disease can also be transmitted by touching monkeypox skin blisters or scabs, or getting too close to coughs and sneezes from an infected person. Patients will usually need to stay in a specialist hospital so infection doesn’t spread and general symptoms can be treated. The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox, because it starts as raised spots which turn into small scabs filled with fluid. But it is possible to spread the disease through touching clothing, bedding, or towels used by someone with the rash. It’s thought to be spread by rodents, such as rats, mice, and squirrels. Monkeypox can be caught from a bite by an infected animal, or by touching its blood, body fluids or fur.

STAT had many questions about monkeypox. Fortunately, Andrea McCollum, an expert at the CDC, had many answers.

It depends on the person and it depends on the extent of the rash. If a patient’s been in bed, then the lesions have exudate and pus and that gets on the bed linens and the virus is in that material. A number of the cases are in men who have sex with men, which raises the question of sexual transmission. But at this point, everything we’re hearing and seeing is consistent with what we know about monkeypox, which is that it requires close contact. We do know that lesions themselves, including the ones that present on the surface of the skin, they’re loaded with virus. It’s only during that healing phase [with monkeypox] when there’s crusting and the skin is regenerating a bit, patients mention itching. But I will remind you that you can have an R-naught of less than one and the agent can still be transmitted person to person. I don’t think we have a really good handle on whether most of it is respiratory or skin-to-skin. We don’t have really good contemporary estimates of R-naught. [R-naught is the figure that estimates how many people an infected person, on average, will infect.] We don’t really have any estimates of R-naught for the West African clade. So far it seems that the cases are being caused by viruses from the West African clade, which triggers milder disease than the other family of viruses, called the Congo Basin clade. Monkeypox causes a flu-like array of symptoms, but also comes with a distinctive rash; one telltale sign is the fact that lesions often appear on the palms of hands. At this point, the cases are mainly being detected by clinics that treat sexually transmitted diseases and are being seen in men who have sex with men.

Monkeypox is a virus that originates in wild animals like rodents and primates, and occasionally jumps to people. Most human cases have been in central and west ...

The World Health Organization estimates there are thousands of monkeypox infections in about a dozen African countries every year. The infections in Portugal were picked up at a sexual health clinic, where the men sought help for lesions on their genitals. Most human cases have been in central and west Africa, where the disease is endemic. The illness was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were two outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in research monkeys — thus the name monkeypox. The incubation period is from about five days to three weeks. It’s a surprising outbreak of disease that rarely appears outside Africa.

The announcement raises the possibility that the first monkeypox infection found in the United States is connected to the Canadian cases.

The cases diagnosed in Europe have been caused by the West African clade of the virus, which is typically less dangerous than the Congo Basin clade. In Africa, monkeypox has been fatal in about 1 in 10 cases, with severe disease and death more likely among children, young adults, and people with compromised immune systems, though the ECDC said in its report that the case fatality rate for the West African clade has been 3.6%. One possible explanation for why so many cases in the current outbreak have been identified at STI clinics is that people have turned up with “a preponderance of lesions in the genital area,” the ECDC wrote. Health authorities have stressed cases are likely not limited to this population, both to try to avoid stigmatization, and to ensure that clinicians remain on the lookout for infections in other groups of people. The health officials in Montreal said the suspected cases there have included painful lesions in the mouth and on the penis. It’s also not clear, for example, if the U.S. case is related to the cases in Europe. Genomic sequencing can help answer that question.

A Massachusetts man has been diagnosed with monkeypox, a viral infection that has been recently found in clusters in Europe and Canada.

In humans, symptoms are mild but not unlike the symptoms of smallpox. The CDC says 10% of cases in Africa are fatal. The CDC said that was the first time cases were reported outside of Africa. It is also possible that eating meat of an animal infected with the virus may lead to infection. The latest case is getting more attention because of recent unusual clusters in other countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says monkeypox was first seen in 1958 during two outbreaks of a pox-like illness that spread through colonies of monkeys who were research subjects.

The outbreaks are raising alarm because the viral disease mostly occurs in west and central Africa, and only very occasionally spreads elsewhere.

Smallpox was eradicated by vaccination in 1980, and the shot has since been phased out. It is usually mild, although there are two main strains: the Congo strain, which is more severe – with up to 10% mortality – and the West African strain, which has a fatality rate in about 1% of cases. The UK cases have been reported as the West African strain. Only the first case reported on May 6 had recently travelled to Nigeria. The virus spreads through close contact, both in spillovers from animals and, less commonly, between humans. "Historically, there have been very few cases exported.

The virus behind monkeypox is a close relative of the one that caused smallpox but is less deadly and less transmissible, causing symptoms that include fever ...

The oft-cited fatality rate of about 10 percent applies to a strain that infected people in the Congo Basin. The West African strain, which several of the current cases have been linked to, has a fatality rate closer to 1 percent—and that’s in poor, rural populations. And as another bioterrorism precaution, stockpiles of three smallpox vaccines are large enough “to vaccinate basically everyone in the U.S.” Inglesby said. It’s urgent to identify people early, get them treatment, and identify contacts.” It helps that one common symptom is an obvious rash, which looks like an extreme version of chickenpox. As for the U.S., “there are currently no additional suspected cases” beyond the individual in Massachusetts, McCollum told me. Are they the work of a new and more transmissible strain of monkeypox? A 2012 study suggested that the virus can persist in aerosols for several days—but that was under artificial laboratory conditions, and persistence is just one small part of the infection process. For decades, a few scientists have voiced concerns that the monkeypox virus could have become better at infecting people—ironically because we eradicated its relative, smallpox, in the late 1970s. “I’ve seen a lot of people writing as if everything we know about monkeypox is definitive and finalized, but the reality is that it is still a rare zoonotic infection,” she said. “I don’t think people should be freaking out at this stage,” Carl Bergstrom of the University of Washington told me, “but I don’t trust my own gut feelings anymore, because I’m so sick of all this shit that I tend to be optimistic.” Then again, Marr is less certain about monkeypox than she was about COVID. And Titanji notes that our knowledge of monkeypox is based on just 1,500 or so recorded cases, as of 2018. Rarely, monkeypox makes it to other continents, and when it does, outbreaks “are so small, they’re measured in single digits,” Thomas Inglesby, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told me. This suggests that the monkeypox virus may be surreptitiously spreading from person to person, with some number of undetected cases.

A handful of cases of the virus have now been reported or are suspected in the UK, US, Portugal and Spain.

“We are, however, concerned at the multiple countries outside, especially in Europe, that are seeing these outbreaks of monkeypox,” he added. In a remote northern village within Central Africa, a team from the Center of Disease Control research the MonkeyPox virus on the ground. At left, Manfuette villagers Laur with her two daughters, Janelle and unidentified younger daughter, prepare the daily meal for the CDC scientists and Congolese scientists after a day of MonkeyPox research in Manfuette, Republic of Congo Tuesday August 29, 2017.

European and American health authorities have identified a number of cases of monkeypox this week, a surprising outbreak of an illness that has previously ...

The World Health Organization estimates there are thousands of monkeypox infections in about a dozen African countries every year. The infections in Portugal were picked up at a sexual health clinic, where the men sought help for lesions on their genitals. Most human cases have been in central and west Africa, where the disease is endemic. The illness was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were two outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in research monkeys — thus the name monkeypox. LONDON — European and American health authorities have identified a number of monkeypox cases in recent days, mostly in young men. The incubation period is from about five days to three weeks.

What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a disease caused by a virus that, as the name suggests, usually spreads among monkeys in Central and West Africa, but ...

In Africa monkeypox can be deadly in as many as 1 in 10 people who contract the disease, according to the CDC. However, there are two main types of monkeypox: the Congo strain and the West African strain. The expectation is this outbreak can be contained by contact tracing, like all previous monkeypox outbreaks. What’s more, the WHO says these figures refer to the proportion of deaths in those confirmed to be infected, called the case fatality ratio. There have been several monkeypox outbreaks outside Africa, but usually involving only a handful of cases with very limited local spread. Some researchers have previously warned that monkeypox is a growing threat. The first person confirmed to be infected in the UK had travelled to Nigeria. They developed a rash on 5 May and were hospitalised on 6 May, but have fully recovered. In animal studies, tecovirimat significantly increased the survival rate of animals given very high doses of monkeypox. In addition, those who are old enough to have been vaccinated against smallpox as babies should have some protection. The first human case was identified in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. Monkeypox may also be transmitted by eating the undercooked meat of an infected animal. “These latest cases, together with reports of cases in countries across Europe, confirm our initial concerns that there could be spread of monkeypox within our communities,” she said. The US and Sweden each have one confirmed case, Italy has one confirmed and two suspected cases, and Canada has 17 suspected cases.

This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and ...

"The pets were infected after being housed near imported small mammals from Ghana," the CDC said. Since then, there have been more than 450 reported cases in Nigeria and at least eight known exported cases internationally, the agency said. "Monkeypox can be a serious infection, with mortality rates from this type of monkeypox virus having been around 1% in other outbreaks. Those cases are typically linked to international travel or imported animals infected with the pox, the CDC said. "At this time, we don't want people to worry," Murthy said. The painful, raised poxes are pearly and fluid-filled, often surrounded by red circles.

The symptoms and causes of monkeypox infections, which CDC calls an 'emerging issue'. A string of new cases in Europe and the U.S. is "the most important ...

The CDC website states that "in the event of another outbreak of monkeypox in the U.S., CDC will establish guidelines explaining who should be vaccinated." There’s really quite a lot of work that would need to be done before we would say that it can be transmitted sexually," she said. The West African clade of monkeypox is much more benign than the Congo Basin clade," Rao said. Rimoin said supportive care is pretty effective for the West African clade. Monkeypox belongs to the family of poxviruses, which includes smallpox. As an emerging issue, we’re asking people to keep it top of mind at the moment." Beyond that, she said, there are some experimental drugs that have not been widely tested in people. Person-to-person transmission can occur through the exchange of large respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact. So what we’re seeing right now is unusual," said Dr. Agam Rao, a medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology. "We are telling people this is an emerging issue," she said. The U.S. reported its first monkeypox case of the year on Wednesday: a man in Massachusetts. New York City's health department said on Thursday that it is investigating a possible case as well. France reported a suspected case on Thursday too.

U.S. and European health officials identify a number of cases of monkeypox, an illness previously limited mostly to central and western Africa.

The World Health Organization estimates there are thousands of monkeypox infections in about a dozen African countries every year. The infections in Portugal were picked up at a sexual health clinic, where the men sought help for lesions on their genitals. Most human cases have been in central and west Africa, where the disease is endemic. The illness was first identified by scientists in 1958, when there were two outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in research monkeys — thus the name monkeypox. The incubation period is from about five days to three weeks. It’s a surprising outbreak of disease that rarely appears outside Africa.

Here's what you should know about the rare smallpox-like virus that has recently spread to Europe, Canada, and the U.S..

In November, a person who went to Nigeria and returned to the U.S. was infected with the disease. And the U.K. reports that the cases are predominantly showing up in men who have sex with men. But the last major outbreak was in 2003, when there were 47 confirmed and probable cases in six states. Researchers are still trying to determine how the disease has shown up in several different countries. Other methods, the CDC says, include direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linens. The U.S. order will convert existing smallpox vaccines into freeze-dried versions, which have a longer shelf life. An unidentified European country has also secured a contract to obtain the vaccine. After an incubation period of 7 to 14 days (or, in some cases as few as 5 days and as many as 21), patients experience fever, headache, muscle aches, a backache, chills, and exhaustion. (The CDC, it’s important to note, is not particularly concerned.) Still, if you’re unfamiliar with monkeypox, here are a few things to know. It started on May 7, when an individual from Europe, who had traveled to Nigeria (where monkeypox is endemic), was confirmed to have a case. Biotech company Bavarian Nordic announced on May 18 that the U.S. placed a $119 million order and has the option to buy $180 million more if it wants. However, African rodents and nonhuman primates (like monkeys) may harbor the virus and infect people.”

Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to kill hundreds of Americans a day, monkeypox, a viral disease that can cause serious flu-like symptoms and a ...

What’s worse, according to Petersen, “it is an infection that is more serious in immunocompromised people like [those who are] HIV-infected.” Antivirals that can help with smallpox infections can also be used against monkeypox, according to the CDC. “It is a respiratory infection, but previously we did not think that it was very contagious. “I do not want to be alarmist, but we have to be careful with a virus that is spreading by the respiratory route, like COVID,” Petersen said. “We should assume with any infectious pathogen, the more it spreads among humans, there can always be a possibility of mutations leading to adaptations that facilitate spread,” Wu explained. So it’s not adapted, typically, to infect us, but the more it spreads to humans, the more it can adapt.” Specifically, younger people and men who have sex with men may be at higher risk in places like the United States, even as COVID-19 has disproportionately killed the elderly. Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to kill hundreds of Americans a day, monkeypox, a viral disease that can cause serious flu-like symptoms and a distinctive and unsightly crop of papules all over the patient’s face and body, has arrived. Conventional public health wisdom about monkeypox holds that it spreads via close contact, such as skin-to-skin touching, or the touching of lesions. “I think clearly there is local transmission occurring in these non-endemic areas, at a number we’ve never seen before in previous outbreaks.” However, if monkeypox is now spreading fairly easily from person-to-person, as some early evidence suggests may be the case, that would be an unwelcome twist. And it is by no means a new virus.

Monkeypox cases are popping up in several countries. Health experts are cautiously concerned, but this isn't like Covid-19.

Currently, the general public doesn’t need to be particularly worried about the risk monkeypox viruses pose to themselves and their loved ones. And in addition to treatments, we already have excellent vaccines to protect those at highest risk from infection — public health authorities in the UK are currently vaccinating close contacts of cases to prevent further spread of infection. This doesn’t mean monkeypox is only circulating among men who have sex with men, and some infections have been diagnosed in people who are not gay or bisexual men. Of the two, the Congo Basin version has historically spread more easily from person-to-person and caused more deaths. That’s partly because monkeypox is related to the smallpox virus, and immunity to smallpox is protective against monkeypox. But as of 1980, smallpox has been eradicated in humans, and vaccinations against smallpox have grown rare — and human cases of monkeypox have been on the rise. Infection with the monkeypox virus usually causes a flu-like illness with fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash. We have more tools to prevent and treat it — far more than we did for Covid-19 at the outset of the pandemic — and both public health and the general public have had a lot of practice taking measures to prevent infections from spreading. Monkeypox viruses generally circulate among wild animals in Central and West Africa, and usually spread to people when they eat or have other close contact with infected animals. But with monkeypox, the world faces a very different situation than in the early days of Covid-19. Monkeypox, unlike SARS-CoV-2, is a known quantity. (The numbers are changing rapidly; a University of Oxford epidemiologist tweeted a link to a makeshift tracker where you can see the latest figures.) Occasionally, public health authorities identify single cases in people recently returned from West or Central Africa, where the disease is more common.

Officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are closely tracking recent clusters of monkeypox infections around the world -- and possible ...

The reservoir for this virus, the natural reservoir in nature is probably certain types of rodents." At this point, again, these numbers are still small -- we want them to be aware of these symptoms and if they have any concerns to reach out to their doctor." "And if you haven't had contact in Massachusetts and you're not related to the person who had disease or in that link at all -- until we have any other reason to expect or to understand how this disease got into the United States -- your risk of getting monkeypox is really low." "I think to the public overall, there really is no clear risk at this point," Shenoy said. , belonging to the scientific family of "pox" viruses. Those pets were housed at an animal vendor's facilities in Illinois where they may have been infected with the virus. "As we work to complete our investigations and get our arms around it then hopefully we'll have much stronger recommendations for folks." "It's definitely something that we're discussing and evaluating, whether offering smallpox vaccine makes sense in the current setting," she said. . But cases have been identified that were associated with international travel or importing animals from areas where the disease is more common. The facilities housed other small mammals imported from Ghana that tested positive for monkeypox virus: two African giant pouched rats, nine dormice and three rope squirrels. "We're working through the investigations." "We have a level of scientific concern about what we're seeing because this is a very unusual situation.

MONTREAL, May 19 (Reuters) - Canada's public health agency on Thursday confirmed the first two cases of monkeypox virus infections in the country after ...

It was first recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1970s. “Tonight, the Province of Quebec was notified that two samples received by the NML (National Microbiology Laboratory) have tested positive for monkeypox. The number of cases in West Africa has increased in the last decade.

Monkeypox is an uncommon disease that usually causes symptoms of fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face.

Monkeypox is an uncommon disease that usually causes symptoms of fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face. "Tonight, the Province of Quebec was notified that two samples received by the NML (National Microbiology Laboratory) have tested positive for monkeypox. Monkeypox is an uncommon disease that usually causes symptoms of fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face.

So far, two primary strains of the virus have been identified, the Congo strain - which has a 10% mortality rate, and the milder West African strain, which has ...

Read More Read More Read More The early symptoms include swelling of lymph nodes and general flu-like symptoms, such headache and lack of energy. The recent cases in the UK have all been the West African strain. Monkeypox is a virus from the same family as smallpox.

What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a very rare disease, which is similar to smallpox, but it is a milder form caused by the monkey pox virus. Why monkeypox virus ...

It is in milder form, as I said of smallpox and, just by symptomatic management, it can be treated. Dr. Rajesh Jaria, Consultant, Internal Medicine, P D Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Khar said monkeypox is similar to chicken pox. Apart from flu-like symptoms, monkey pox causes enlargement of lymph nodes or glands, which are there in the body. Experts believe the risk for this to turn into a global pandemic is low. Viruses are the smallest particles that can be classified as living. Health officials have little clue where people caught the monkeypox virus.

Italy, Sweden, Australia and Canada have joined a slew of countries with confirmed cases of monkeypox, signalling a global outbreak.

The US has confirmed the first case of Monkeypox in a Massachusetts man. The most common disease symptoms in monkeypox are fever, swollen lymph nodes, general malaise and rash with blisters. The majority have been detected in gay and bisexual men. Sexual contact is a risk," the ECDC said. According to Victoria's Department of Health, a man, in his 30s, fell ill after returning from travel to the UK earlier this week. We do not yet know where the person became infected.

In May 2022, cases of Monkeypox have been detected in various parts of Europe and North America, including, the UK, Portugal, Spain, Canada and the United ...

Read More Read More Read More The early symptoms include swelling of lymph nodes and general flu-like symptoms, such as headaches and lack of energy. The recent cases in the UK have all been the West African strain. Monkeypox is a virus from the same family as smallpox.

Australia on Friday reported its first monkeypox case in a traveller who recently returned from Britain, while a probable case of infection was identified ...

People can contract monkeypox through very close contact with those who are infected with the virus. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Cases of monkeypox are being investigated in several countries in Europe and North America.

The concern, expressed by virologist Marion Koopmans, is the fact that the cases of monkeypox have been detected in several different countries, given that monkeypox is ordinarily not very contagious. Since then, a total of nine people have been found with the disease in the country. Monkeypox isn’t known to be transmitted sexually, said the University of Southampton's Head earlier this week, commenting on the U.K. cases. In the U.K. some health care staff, as well as other at risk contacts, are being offered smallpox vaccines. In countries where vaccines against smallpox are available, the ECDC recommends consideration of vaccination of high-risk close contacts, after a risk-benefit assessment. Canada’s Public Health Agency confirmed two cases in the country. The West African type that scientists have detected in Europe has a mortality rate of a little under 4 percent. “In this situation, new cases have been detected in different countries,” she said. The symptoms of monkeypox typically start with a fever, sore muscles, swollen lymph nodes and headaches. What’s concerning experts is the unusual spread of the disease. The U.K. Health Security Agency said that these cases have mostly been among gay or bisexual men. In this most recent outbreak, the U.K. became the first country to detect a case of monkeypox on May 6.

Two cases of monkeypox have been reported in Australia. Resurgence of this virus could be due to the ending of smallpox vaccination.

This is the first time there has been travel-related spread from outside of the African continent, where the virus is endemic in animals. Isolation of cases and quarantine of contacts works to curtail epidemics. In a well-studied outbreak in the US linked to imported animals, only three in 20 cases were asymptomatic, and they had been vaccinated. Serological studies to measure asymptomatic infection are being done in the UK and should shed more light on this hypothesis. Vaccinia is another orthopoxvirus that confers immunity against smallpox and monkeypox, but can have serious side effects in some people, especially those with compromised immune systems. For health workers who will be at risk of exposure, the use of third generation vaccines should be considered if the epidemic grows. The vaccine against smallpox also protects against monkeypox, so in the past, mass vaccination against smallpox protected people from monkeypox too. There are even fewer in Australia, where mass smallpox vaccination was never used, and an estimated 10% of Australians have been vaccinated. A week or two after exposure, infection starts with fever, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes and muscle ache. It is more severe in children. However, it does not usually spread easily between humans, and typically only in close contacts. Smallpox only infected humans, but monkeypox is an animal virus that occasionally infects humans after they are bitten or scratched by a monkey or other animal.

Several cases of monkeypox have been detected in North America and Europe since early May, sparking concern that the disease, endemic in parts of Africa, ...

The bad news is mostly people under age 45 don’t have the smallpox vaccine," said epidemiologist and health economist Eric Feigl-Ding. "It’s been estimated that the West Africa strain, which the UK cases have, has a mortality rate of about one percent. -

Health authorities in Europe, the U.S. and Australia are investigating a recent outbreak of monkeypox cases, a rare viral disease typically confined to ...

Smallpox vaccines have, however, proven largely effective in preventing the spread of the virus. Cases outside of Africa have historically been less common, and typically linked to international travel or imported animals. The country now has 20 confirmed cases of monkeypox, though there are concerns there may be many more undetected. The first human case was recorded in 1970. The country now has 20 confirmed cases, though concerns are building that more may be going undetected. Monkeypox is spreading around the world. However, health authorities stress that we are not on the brink of a serious outbreak and the risks to the general public remain very low. Health authorities in Europe, the U.S. and Australia are investigating a recent outbreak of monkeypox cases, a rare viral disease typically confined to Africa. While some cases have been linked to travel from Africa, more recent infections are thought to have spread in the community, raising the risks of a wider outbreak. - Health authorities in Europe, the U.S. and Australia are investigating a recent outbreak of monkeypox cases, a rare viral disease typically found in Africa. Germany on Friday reported its first case of the virus, becoming the latest European country to identify an outbreak alongside the U.K., Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Sweden. - Germany on Friday reported its first case of the virus, becoming the latest European country to identify an outbreak alongside the U.K., Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Sweden.

With cases being identified around the world, experts are looking for the source of the infections and how it is being spread.

On Friday, it emerged that the UK had bought supplies of a vaccine against smallpox – a related but more severe virus that has been eradicated. Experts say the rise in numbers and evidence of community spread are worrying, and that more cases are to be expected as contact tracing by public health teams continues. “Anyone with concerns that they could be infected with monkeypox is advised to make contact with clinics ahead of their visit,” the UKHSA says. However, it is unlikely there will be very large outbreaks, while Head noted that vaccination of close contacts could be used as part of a “ring vaccination” approach. So far 20 cases have been confirmed, with the first reported on 7 May in a patient who had recently travelled to Nigeria. “There is no evidence that it is a sexually transmitted virus, such as HIV,” Head says.

The meeting's agenda is believed to be the ways of the virus' transmission, its high prevalence in gays and bisexual men, as well as the situation with ...

Earlier, no monkeypox cases had been identified in the US in 2022, while in Texas and Maryland, one case was reported in 2021 in people with recent travels to Nigeria. Most infections last 2 to 4 weeks. On May 7, a case of monkeypox was confirmed in England in a patient who recently travelled from Nigeria, as per the UK Health Security Agency.