Recently, many countries have reported monkeypox cases, which has aroused everyone's attention.
Up to now, there are more than 300 related topics on Weibo.
In response to the current situation of monkeypox, the reporter sorted out the "ten questions and ten answers" about monkeypox.
Question 1: What is the latest situation with monkeypox? The WHO issued an early warning of monkeypox outbreaksOn May 23, according to CCTV, WHO data on the 21st showed that since May 13, 12 countries that had not previously been infected with monkeypox virus have reported confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox.
The World Health Organization issued an early warning of the outbreak of monkeypox on the 21st, saying that in view of the fact that cases have been found in a number of countries that are not endemic to monkeypox virus, with the expansion of surveillance, it is possible to find more cases in countries and other countries that have reported cases in the future, and the monkeypox virus will spread further. The current response is focused on providing accurate information to those most susceptible to monkeypox to stop further transmission.
As of 22 February, 13 non-monkeypox-endemic countries have reported 92 confirmed and 29 suspected cases to WHO, covering Europe, the Americas and Oceania.
According to a number of foreign media reports such as the Belgian "Evening News", after the discovery of a number of monkeypox cases, the Belgian health department issued a statement on the 19th local time, requiring monkeypox cases to self-isolate for 21 days. The country thus became the first country in the world to require monkeypox cases to self-isolate.
People exposed to monkeypox cases don't need to self-isolate, but should be vigilant, especially when in contact with vulnerable groups.
On the 22nd local time, British health officials said that the Monkeypox virus community infection group has appeared in the United Kingdom, and many cases are not related to travelers to West Africa. In addition, authorities recommended 21 days of self-isolation for close contacts of monkeypox cases. According to Agence France-Presse, as of the 20th, 20 cases of monkeypox have been reported in the United Kingdom.
Question 3: How are cases transmitted in Europe and the United States? It appeared in many countries almost overnightOn the 21st local time, the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) described the recent phenomenon of monkeypox cases in many countries: it appeared in many countries almost overnight.
Reuters reported that on the 22nd, Austria reported the country's first suspected case. A day earlier, monkeypox cases had been detected for the first time in Israel and Switzerland. On the 20th, France, Belgium and Germany reported their first case of monkeypox.
On the 21st, WHO said that the available information shows that human-to-human transmission is occurring in people who have close physical contact with symptomatic cases. Who's Head of the European Region, Kluge, warned on the 20th that with the spread of monkeypox virus in Europe and the increase in summer gatherings, the spread of the virus may accelerate in the coming months.
Monkeypox has appeared in many countries, and one phenomenon that has puzzled experts is that most of the other cases, with the exception of the first two cases reported in the UK, have no history of travel to Africa. The BBC said on the 21st that the two infected people initially found in the United Kingdom had traveled to Nigeria, and the third infected person was a medical worker who was infected with monkeypox virus from the previously confirmed case. However, there have been no known interconnections or travel history in Africa since then. According to the ATLANTIC MONTHLY, this suggests that the monkeypox virus may have begun to spread insidiously from person to person. The time from infection with the virus to the onset of illness is long, ranging from 5 days to 21 days.
Monkeypox virus microscopy image. (Infographic)
Question 4: What exactly is monkeypox? It was discovered in 1958 and named, and the natural host is not only monkeysMonkeypox is a zoonotic disease that was discovered in 1958 in monkeys, experimental animals, and was first detected in humans in the 1970s, mainly in the rainforest countries of Central and Western Africa.
Yu Dongzheng, a researcher at the Institute of Infectious Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, once said in an interview that monkeypox got its name because it was first found in monkeys, but that doesn't mean that only monkeys have monkeypox virus. In fact, there are many natural hosts of monkeypox, such as rodents such as squirrels, marmots, and rabbits.
Question 5: What are the symptoms of monkeypox infection in humans? Initial fever and headache, followed by a widespread rash on the bodyIt is understood that the initial symptoms of human infection with monkey pox include fever, headache, muscle soreness, back pain, lymphadenopathy, etc., and can then develop into a large-scale rash on the face and body. Most infected people recover within a few weeks, but some will develop serious illness.
According to Sanjaya Senanayak, an infectious disease scientist at the Australian National University, the monkeypox virus infected with the cases found in Europe is relatively mild. After an incubation period of 7 to 17 days, monkeypox patients develop flu-like symptoms and a rash a few days after a high fever. This rash is widespread and can last up to about 4 weeks. Patients may also have symptoms such as pneumonia and diarrhea, but mortality is low.
Symptoms on the surface of the skin in monkeypox patients (HEALTH SECURITY)
Question 6: How does monkeypox virus spread? The main method is direct, dense and exhaled large numbers of dropletsMonkeypox and smallpox are close relatives, and their genomes are very similar in structure, and there are many similarities in biological characteristics and pathogenicity. There is currently no specific treatment. Monkeypox can be transmitted through the bodily fluids of patients and infected animals.
According to the official website of the World Health Organization, the main mode of transmission of monkeypox is direct close contact and the transmission of a large number of exhaled droplets. Monkeypox virus can be achieved by infecting humans by being bitten by an infected animal, or by direct contact with the blood, body fluids, or monkeypox lesions of infected animals, or by eating the meat of an infected animal that is not fully cooked.
Secondary transmission between humans is mainly due to close contact with the infected person's respiratory secretions, skin damage, or items contaminated with the patient's body fluids or diseased tissue (such as clothing, bed sheets, etc.) contaminated with fluid flowing out of the patient's rash after the rupture of the rash. Monkeypox viruses can be present in respiratory droplets but usually require prolonged face-to-face contact to spread.
Question 7: Has the virus mutated? In recent years, the infectivity is increasing, and whether it is mutated still needs to be studiedIn recent years, many academic studies have found that the infectivity of monkeypox viruses is increasing.
According to the National Public Radio (NPR) website, some American experts have found that since the 1980s, the spread capacity of monkeypox viruses has increased by more than ten times, for two reasons: first, every time an epidemic is triggered in the population, the virus will evolve and make itself more adapted to spread in the population; second, because humans successfully "cleared" the extremely dangerous smallpox virus through mass vaccination in the 1980s. As a result, most people are no longer vaccinated against the smallpox vaccine, which is equally effective against the monkeypox virus, giving the virus the opportunity to spread. As early as 2019, a Nigerian virologist wrote that the spread of monkeypox viruses in Nigeria for several years shows that this virus is no longer a "rare" virus with "limited human-to-human transmission" that people previously thought, but is becoming "an important pox virus that will circulate in humans" after smallpox virus.
However, whether the monkeypox virus that appeared in many countries has mutated, and whether the viruses currently appearing in various countries originate from the same strain, etc., need to be further genetically sequenced to know the virus.
Question 8: Will monkeypox catch on? It will not spread as quickly as the new crown virus, and it will be easy to detect when it spreadsThe COVID-19 pandemic continues in countries around the world. Against this backdrop, many people are worried about whether the monkeypox outbreak in many countries means that it will bring another pandemic.
"Atlantic" quoted experts as saying that it is clear that the monkeypox virus is not a new crown virus and has completely different characteristics. When the coronavirus first appeared, people were not familiar with it at all, but monkeypox is a known disease. McCollum of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said existing research has found that monkeypox does not spread easily and does not spread over long distances through the air.
Tomori said people don't have to worry too much about the monkeypox virus because usually after taking certain measures, the virus does not spread as quickly as the new crown virus and can be controlled. In addition, unlike the new coronavirus, which can be transmitted asymptomatically, the monkeypox virus is easy to detect when it spreads, because infected people will develop skin lesions.
Because monkeypox virus and smallpox virus belong to the same virus family, vaccines against smallpox virus also have protective effects on monkeypox virus, and smallpox vaccination is about 85% effective in preventing "monkeypox". Common household disinfectants can kill monkeypox viruses. Protective equipment is recommended when caring for patients.
Based on considerations that have not yet been discovered in China, it will not actually have a particular impact on our lives, and we do not need to be too nervous, maintain good hand hygiene every day (such as washing hands with soap and water, or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer), avoid eating wild game, and avoid contact with animals of unknown origin.
According to the Health Times, a number of experts said in an interview that in the face of monkey pox in many countries around the world, the mainland must guard the "national gate", and external defense is very critical. Shen Jun, deputy chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Children's Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, said that in the near future, animals (including rodents and non-human primates, hereinafter referred to as related animals) that may transmit monkeypox virus should be banned from entering the country, and the quarantine of inbound vehicles, people and goods from the epidemic area should be strengthened.
Huashan Infection WeChat public account posted that scientists are paying close attention to the virus and the epidemic, especially whether the virus has changed the transmission route, just like what may happen in the current epidemic.
Question 10: Monkeypox spreads in many countries, how to prevent it? Many countries already have programmesAccording to Xinhua net, researchers at Russia's "Vector" National Science Center for Virology and Biotechnology have developed an automated detection kit that can be used to detect positive pox viruses, including monkeypox viruses. Laboratory testing for the kit has been successfully completed.
According to the overseas network quoted by south Korea's "JoongAng Daily" website, the Korean Disease Administration said on the 22nd that monkeypox virus infection has not been found in South Korea, but an inspection system for the virus has been established. According to the Korean Centers for Disease Management, 35 million copies of the smallpox vaccine are currently in stock, but expert opinions still need to be studied before deciding whether to use it for the public, "and the level of infectious disease management of monkeypox will be determined according to future changes in the situation." ”
After the United States reported the first case of monkeypox infection this year, the US media "Newsweek" reported on the 19th that the US health department has ordered millions of doses of monkeypox vaccine worth $119 million.
On May 20, local time, the news of the Spanish Ministry of Health showed that in the face of the gradual rise in monkeypox infection case data, the Spanish Ministry of Health temporarily does not plan to implement isolation measures for infected cases, but plans to vaccinate close contacts. At present, the Spanish Ministry of Health is analyzing the possibility of purchasing smallpox vaccines or antiviral drugs through the Spanish Medicines and Health Agency, and the public health authorities of the Madrid region have insisted on the purchase of smallpox vaccines to prevent the spread of monkeypox.
Comprehensive: World Health Organization official website, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, Global Times, Health Times, Sina Weibo, etc Produced by Qilu OnePoint Content Center