What is the global monkeypox outbreak doing now?
On 23 July 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, the second since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) as of July 29, there have been more than 22,485 confirmed cases worldwide, involving 79 countries or regions. Among them, the us mainland cases are 5189, far more than the 4298 cases in the second Spain.
According to the WHO report on 22 July, 73% (11740/16016) of cases had gender information, of which 99% (11613/11740) were male. Of the cases with age data, the median is 36 years, with men aged 18 to 44 years accounting for 77% of cases and less than 1% (81/11787) of patients spreading in the 0-17 age range. Of the cases reported with sexual orientation information, 98% (5470/5561) were gay, bisexual and other male-male sex; Of the cases tested for HIV, 41% (1873/4614) tested positive for HIV.
Image source: WHO official website
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease that previously occurred mainly in remote villages in Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests. It is caused by monkeypox viruses belonging to the genus Orthophanaeviridae in the poxviridae family. The genus also includes smallpox virus (the cause of smallpox), cowpox virus (a vaccine used to eradicate smallpox), and cowpox virus (used in early smallpox vaccines). With the eradication of smallpox viruses in nature, this wave of outbreaks has made monkeypox viruses the most concerned positive pox virus.
Monkeypox Virus Image source: Stay Well World
Monkeypox was discovered in 1958, when two outbreaks of "pox"-like diseases occurred in monkey colonies preserved for research, hence the name monkeypox. In 1970, the Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded its first human case during intensified efforts to eradicate smallpox. The 2003 monkeypox outbreak in the United States was the first human infection of monkeypox outside Africa. Other non-African countries, such as the United Kingdom, Israel and Singapore, have also reported imported cases of monkeypox from Africa. In May 2022, several countries in Europe and North America, including Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Canada and Belgium, reported cases of monkeypox with no direct epidemiological link to Africa.
The case fatality rate ranges from 1% to 10%, with most deaths occurring in younger age groups and immunocompromised patients. There are two types, the Central African type (Congo Basin type) and the West African type, the former being more toxic.
Loris Image source: Animals Network
Until the most recent 2017 outbreak, the last reported case of monkeypox in Nigeria was in the 1970s. The 2017 outbreak in Nigeria was the largest outbreak of the West African branch documented to date.
How does monkeypox get infected?
Although African rodents are suspected to play a role in transmission, the exact host of monkeypox remains unknown. Viruses can spread both between animals and from person to person, occurring when a person comes into contact with a virus from an infected animal, a human, or a material contaminated with the virus, such as bedding. The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if it is not visible), the respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth.
What are the symptoms after infection?
The incubation period for monkeypox is usually 6 to 16 days, but it can also be 5 to 21 days. The clinical presentation of the disease is two stages, the initial invasion period is the first 5 days, and the main symptoms are fever, lymphadenopathy (lymphadenopathy), back pain, severe headache, myalgia (muscle soreness), and severe weakness (energy shortage). A maculopapular rash (flat basal lesion) appears 1 to 3 days after fever, develops into fluid-filled small blisters (blisters), then becomes pus-filled (pustules), and then scabs after about 10 days.
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