On Friday, there was the first case of monkeypox in the Netherlands. On Saturday, there was a second case in the Netherlands! Dutch public health experts are discussing how monkeypox viruses are spreading and how to respond next.
Marion Koopmans, a virologist at Erasmus MC, said there are still many unknowns about monkeypox viruses and how they spread, "It's a new phenomenon." We don't know how fast it spreads, but it seems to spread easily. ”
So far, Coppermans said, people infected with the monkeypox virus, there is no definitive relationship between them. However, experts agree that the virus may spread more widely than currently known cases. After the weekend, the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) will inform people of any new infections.
JAAP van Dissel, director of RIVM, said, "We must now do everything we can to suppress the virus in the early stages. ”
Coppermans said it was unclear how the virus spread rapidly outside of Africa and "it's not entirely clear what the explanation for this is at this point." "For example, whether there are a lot of people who have attended international events, whether they have contracted the virus from there without noticing." ”
The WHO said that 11 countries have confirmed confirmed cases of monkeypox, a total of about 80 cases, and another 50 suspected cases. Officials warned that as we enter the summer, festivals and mass gatherings will increase, which may exacerbate the spread of the epidemic or find more cases.
The WHO pointed out that monkeypox outbreaks in the past mainly occurred in Central Africa and West Africa, but this outbreak has spread in North America and Europe, and almost all patients have not recently traveled to monkeypox endemic areas, describing the current outbreak as abnormal, and organizing a technical advisory group meeting to discuss information and coping strategies for monkeypox.
Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Sweden have reported confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox this month, as well as Australia and Canada.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by a virus that has symptoms similar to smallpox and is mainly transmitted through close contact, with patients usually mild symptoms and most people recovering within a few weeks.
This article is compiled by the China-Netherlands Business Daily, please indicate the source when reprinting!
For more information, please pay attention to the WeChat public account of China-Netherlands Business Daily (chinatimesnl)