Monkey pox. Anything to worry about? Facts worth knowing [WE EXPLAIN]

The World Health Organization has named monkey pox a “global health threat”. So far, there have been over 16 thousand. cases of the disease around the world. On June 10, the first case in Poland was confirmed. The first cases of cases were diagnosed in Great Britain in early May. Since then, the disease has appeared in over 70 countries around the world, not counting Africa, where it is (or rather is) endemic (only in this area). What are the symptoms of monkey pox and how do you catch it? Is it closer to smallpox or chicken pox? Is there a vaccine against this disease? You will learn everything below.

1. Monkey pox is a zoonotic disease that occurs sporadically in humans. In most cases, it is harmless
2. One of its symptoms is the characteristic blisters on the skin. Once healed, however, they may leave scars
3. Until recently, with few exceptions, it was mainly found in central and western Africa
4. Since May, more and more cases of the disease have been reported in European countries
5. She appeared in Poland on June 10
6. On July 23, monkey pox was recognized by the WHO as a “global threat”
7. More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Monkey pox – what is this disease?

Monkey pox is a rare infectious zoonotic disease. Most often it is mild and the infected person heals within a few weeks. It is caused by a virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus, belonging to the Poxviridae family. This pathogen is transmitted to humans mainly by rodents (most often squirrels), less often – despite the name – monkeys.

Monkey pox was first identified in monkeys in 1958. In humans it was confirmed in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Until recently, smallpox has been found in humans in several African countries (Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DRC, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Congo, Sierra Leone and South Sudan) where it is endemic. It was also detected in the United States (for the first time in 2003) and the United Kingdom.

The monkey pox mortality rate is 10 percent. (for comparison, with smallpox it was even 30%). The most recent cases in Europe, however, concern the West African variety, where the mortality rate is much lower, at around 1%.

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Monkey pox – in which countries did it appear?

By July 23, around the world – except for Africa – over 16 were confirmed. cases of monkey pox.

The disease has appeared in over 70 countries around the world. The largest number of cases was recorded in Spain – over 3. The United States is in second place with almost 2900 cases. The largest number of cases in the US took place in New York (over 800), the local medical services recognized the city as the “epicenter of the epidemic”.

The first case of the disease in Europe was confirmed on May 7 this year. in Great Britain with a man from Nigeria. The following cases were reported in Portugal, France, Belgium, Sweden and Italy, as well as in Canada, the United States and Australia. On May 20, the first case in Germany was confirmed, and the first case appeared in Poland on June 10.

According to the data of the Ministry of Health, so far 93 cases of suspected infection with monkey pox have been reported, of which 44 have been positive.

For a list of countries with confirmed cases of monkey pox, see website of the American CDC agency.

Monkey pox and chicken pox

Monkey pox has nothing to do with chicken pox (Latin varicella), colloquially known as an airgun. These are contagious diseases, but the air rifle is caused by other types of viruses. These are pathogens from the Herpesviridae family. – This is a completely different virus, so I prefer to use – in the case of chickenpox – its old name: air gun – explained virologist prof. Włodzimierz Gut in an interview with Medonet.

Mainly small children suffer from the air rifle, it is more dangerous for adults. In Poland, there are about 100-200 thousand. cases of illness annually.

It may take up to 21 days from the moment of infection to the first symptoms, on average it is 14 days. It spreads quickly because we get infected from a sick person 1-2 days before the appearance of a rash and vesicles. Infectivity persists until the vesicles turn into scabs, which fall off after some time. The infected complain of malaise even before the appearance of the rash.

The initial symptoms of chicken pox are:

1. fever or low-grade fever
2. loss of appetite
3. headache
4. muscle pain

There is a vaccine against chickenpox. It is obligatory in Poland, included in the Protective Vaccination Program.

Smallpox and smallpox

Smallpox closer to a more serious disease – smallpox, the eradication (complete elimination) of which was announced in the world in 1980, two years after its last case was recorded.

Small pox (Latin variola vera) is also called black pox. It has a hard course and high mortality – nearly 30 percent. the sick die. The characteristic symptoms are a rash that appears all over the body after 2-4 days of fever. Pimples appear in the final stage. They are covered with scabs that fall off, leaving unsightly scars.

The sick person is infected from the moment the first lesions appear on the skin and mucous membranes until the scabs that still contain the virus fall off. It takes about three weeks.

“In Poland, the last case of native smallpox took place in 1937, while outbreaks after the introduction of this disease were recorded in 1953, 1962 and 1963,” recalled the Chief Sanitary Inspector on May 8, 2020, i.e. on the 40th anniversary of the announcement of complete eradication of smallpox in the world. This was possible thanks to extensive vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced mandatory vaccination in 1967, but after the disease was eradicated in the world, it was withdrawn from the calendar. Most of the world’s population is not immune to the smallpox virus because of this.

Monkey pox – how does it get infected?

The most common infection occurs as a result of biting or direct contact with sick animals, their blood or body fluids.

Infection between humans is rare. Transmission of the pathogen occurs through damaged skin, mucous membranes, contact with body fluids, and also through prolonged face-to-face contact, i.e. by droplets.

Monkey pox – symptoms

The incubation period for monkey pox is six to 13 days.

In the initial stage of the disease, the most common symptoms are:

1. fever,
2. muscle aches,
3. headaches,
4. back pain
5. chills,
6. fatigue,
7. enlarged lymph nodes.

Two or three days after the first symptoms, a rash appears on the skin and in the mouth, there are still headaches and muscle aches, fatigue, and a cough. If the disease is severe, the rash covers the entire body, including the head. At first, they are macular eruptions, which then turn into vesicular eruptions. In the case of bacterial superinfection, spots may also occur.

The disease usually lasts for two to four weeks. When the scabs fall off the vesicles and pustules, scars appear that can remain on the body for several years. Mediskin Medisil Cream, a hypoallergenic regenerating cream for irritation, is recommended for skin care after the pox has healed.

A vaccine for monkey pox

There is currently no monkey pox vaccine or directed treatment. Many countries have started vaccinating at risk people but are using smallpox preparations.

According to the American CDC, the smallpox vaccine may be at least 85 percent. effective in the prevention of monkey pox, although there is not much data on it.

– Currently, work is underway on a vaccine against monkey pox, but a vaccine and treatment against smallpox can be used to control any epidemic of monkey pox, but we do not know how effective it can be because it has never been tried – said Prof. Simon Clarke from the University of Reading in an interview with IFL Science.

«For the prevention of monkey pox and smallpox [they are related viruses], a vaccine known under the trade names JYNNEOSTM, Imvamune or Imvanex developed by Bavarian Nordic has been registered in the EU, USA and Canada. Currently, work is underway on a vaccine dedicated to monkey pox »- wrote prof. Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska, virologist and immunologist.

According to Bavarian Nordic, more and more European countries are interested in purchasing the vaccine.

Monkey pox – treatment

There is no targeted treatment for monkey pox. Treatment is symptomatic and antiviral drugs may be effective. Preparations such as cidofovir, brincidofovir and tecovirimat demonstrated efficacy in in vitro studies on animal material.

The latter drug, used to treat smallpox, given to a UK patient with monkey pox a few years ago, made his hospital stay shorter than expected, as did the period during which PCR tests detected active virus during the body.

– The course is usually moderate and recovery occurs within a few weeks, although in some cases the course of the disease may be more severe – said Jan Bodnar, the then spokesman for GIS, a few years ago.

Experts indicate that the smallpox vaccine could be effective in prophylaxis. However, its use was discontinued with the eradication of the disease 42 years ago.

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