This article is reproduced from the CCTV news client, originally published on July 14, 2023, with the original title "What are the characteristics of 106 new confirmed cases of monkeypox reported in June Chinese mainland?" Expert interpretation →.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention released the surveillance of monkeypox epidemic in June 2023 on the 14th. From June 2 to June 30, 2023, 106 new confirmed cases of monkeypox were reported in Chinese mainland (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), including 48 cases reported in Guangdong Province, 45 cases reported in Beijing, 8 cases reported in Jiangsu Province, 2 cases reported in Hubei Province, 2 cases reported in Shandong Province and 1 case reported in Zhejiang Province, with no severe cases or deaths.
The epidemic presents the following characteristics: First, the vast majority of cases are men who have sex with men, mainly through male sex transmission. Second, the risk of transmission through other contact methods is low, and the vast majority of close contacts other than sexual contact have not been infected. Third, most of the cases were found during medical visits, and a few cases were found by close contact tracing and screening. Fourth, the clinical manifestations of most cases are typical, mainly fever, herpes, lymphadenopathy and other symptoms, and there are no severe and death cases.
The current monkeypox outbreak is mainly spread through close contact with men who have sex with men
What are the main ways through which monkeypox outbreaks are transmitted? Will it cause widespread transmission? The National Administration for Disease Control and Prevention invited the relevant person in charge of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to interpret today.
Shi Guoqing, deputy director of the Health Emergency Center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: This round of monkeypox epidemic is mainly transmitted through close contact between men who have sex with men, the 106 cases reported in mainland China in June are all men, 101 cases are clearly men who have sex with men, of which 96 cases have a history of male sex 21 days before the onset, monkeypox is mainly limited to men who have sex with men and transmitted through sexual contact, compared with the spread speed of respiratory infectious diseases such as new crown and influenza, monkeypox spread relatively slowly, However, localized clusters may occur. According to the results of the flow of close contacts of the cases in June, there were more than 370 close contacts other than sexual contact, of which only one person was infected because he lived in the same bed as the confirmed case, indicating that the risk of transmission by other modes of contact is low.
Experts introduced that monkeypox virus mainly invades the human body through mucous membranes and broken skin, through extensive publicity and popularization of prevention and treatment knowledge, improve public awareness of protection, timely and effective preventive measures, can greatly reduce the risk of infection, effectively control the spread of the epidemic.
Suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox should be treated in isolation
The relevant person in charge of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that at present, suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox in mainland China should be transferred to medical institutions for isolation and treatment in time in principle.
Shi Guoqing, deputy director of the Health Emergency Center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: The patient's clinical manifestations improved, and the lesion site was scabbed, and after evaluation, it could be transferred to home isolation treatment until the scab site fell off naturally and the isolation treatment was released. For some patients with mild disease and home isolation treatment conditions, home isolation treatment can be directly adopted after joint evaluation by clinical and disease control agencies. During home isolation, patients should live in a single room, avoid contact with family members with skin and mucous membranes, disinfect pollutants, try not to go out, if you must go out, wear long clothes and trousers, wear masks, do not go to crowded places, do not have contact with other people with skin and mucous membranes.
The relevant person in charge of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention introduced that the close contacts of monkeypox cases do not need centralized isolation, and after the disease control agency determines the close contact, it will guide him to do a good job in self-health monitoring, the health monitoring period is 21 days from the date of the last contact case, close contacts can live and work normally during the self-health monitoring period, avoid sexual contact with others, avoid donating blood, etc., insist on daily temperature measurement and symptom monitoring, and should go to medical institutions in time if they have uncomfortable symptoms.
Shi Guoqing, deputy director of the Health Emergency Center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Returning from abroad does not need to provide proof of (monkeypox) nucleic acid testing, prevention and control is mainly to take health education publicity interventions, strengthen the monitoring of key personnel entering and leaving the country, medical institutions, so that cases can be detected in time, isolated and treated cases, and his close contacts can be traced and managed.
Expert: Monkeypox has a low rate of severe disease and most can be cured
There are public concerns about whether the herpes that appears after monkeypox infection will leave permanent scars, experts invited by the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration said that at present, from a global point of view, the overall severe disease rate is low, and if there is no secondary bacterial infection, most of the herpes can be cured.
Li Tongzeng, chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University: Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by monkeypox virus, is an infectious disease, its virus is called monkeypox virus, belongs to orthopoxvirus, and the previous smallpox virus, vaccinia virus, the smallpox vaccine of the pox virus are the same genus, it causes symptoms mainly fever, rash, herpes, lymph node swelling, these rash herpes may itch. If we have unexplained fever, herpes, swollen lymph nodes, especially after close contact with people who have had similar symptoms, we should seek medical attention in time.
Experts said that at present, there are monkeypox vaccines on the market abroad, domestic monkeypox vaccines are under development, there is currently no vaccine that can be used to prevent monkeypox, and the treatment is mainly symptomatic treatment to prevent secondary infections.
Li Tongzeng, chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing You'an Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University: Since the beginning of May 2022, the global monkeypox cases have found that his severe disease mortality rate is still very low, and the proportion of people who need to be hospitalized is about 6%, and the number of people who need to enter the intensive care unit is about 1‰. The vast majority of monkeypox cases can be cured, but if his herpes is deep, relatively large, and not treated in time, it may leave scars, or pigmentation will occur within a certain period of time. For the vast majority of immunocompetent people, after a positive (monkeypox) he will acquire a lasting immunity, usually without secondary infection.
How can I prevent monkeypox infection? Avoid close contact with people with monkeypox-like symptoms
How can I prevent monkeypox infection? Does wearing a mask work? Experts give tips to the public.
Shi Guoqing, deputy director of the Health Emergency Center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: The preventive measures of monkeypox are mainly to avoid direct contact with the skin or mucous membranes of infected people and the pollutants of cases, suspected cases and confirmed cases of monkeypox need to wear masks when going out, other groups of people do not need to wear masks, do not have close contact with patients with monkeypox-like symptoms, especially sexual contact, avoid direct contact with rodents and primates, and strengthen personal hand hygiene.
Li Tongzeng, chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases of Beijing You'an Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University: The first is to try to avoid close skin contact with people with rash and herpes symptoms. In addition, if we say that we are in contact with medical staff and confirmed cases and suspected cases, especially when collecting specimens, we still have to wear masks.
Source: Oriental Weekly