World Health Organization Announced: The Spread of Monkeypox Virus Go Unnoticed
Cases of monkeypox continue to increase globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that at least 643 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in 30 countries. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, warned that the sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries means that the virus has been spreading silently for years, and that there may be a large number of cases yet undetected in many countries.
AT LEAST 643 CASE CONFIRMED
The monkeypox epidemic continues to spread in countries where it has not been seen before. This situation puts global health authorities on high alert. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), announced that more than 643 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in dozens of countries where the virus is not endemic.
“The sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries at the same time suggests that there may be an undetected transmission for some time. There may be many cases that have not yet been detected in many countries,” said Ghebreyesus.
IT HAS CONTINUOUSLY TRANSMITTED HUMAN TO HUMAN SINCE “2017”
On the other hand, monkeypox virus has been circulating in some countries for decades, including parts of West and Central Africa. A new study published this week by scientists at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland showed that monkeypox virus has been transmitted ‘almost continuously from person to person since 2017.
In this research, genetic sequences revealed that the first cases of monkeypox in 2022 resulted from an outbreak from 2017 to 2019 that resulted in cases in Singapore, Israel, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Michael Worobey, a professor and evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona in the USA, who was not involved in the research, said that this shows that this epidemic has been going on for a long time locally in other countries, as well as in places where the virus is endemic.
THE STORY OF TWO DIFFERENT EPIDEMIC
“This means that the monkeypox virus has failed to protect those in confined areas where it is endemic and to control it at source before it spreads globally. Indeed, this is the story of two different epidemics in poor and rich countries. “We have to start caring about all the countries in the world and control the spread of the virus,” he said.
On the other hand, epidemiologist Anne Rimoin, who has studied monkeypox for nearly two decades, has long warned that the spread of the disease in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo could have broader global health implications.
“If monkeypox occurs in a wildlife reservoir outside of Africa, it would be difficult to reverse the decline in public health,” said Rimoin, who is now a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Evaluating the current situation, Rimoin said, “The last monkeypox epidemic was difficult to predict in part because we could not trace its origins exactly. We don’t even know how long this has been spreading. It spread silently for a while. If we continue to see sustained person-to-person transmission, even at low levels, in this epidemic, this brings back the possibility of spread to animals in non-endemic countries “from an existential threat to a different possibility”. “Such a spread could then allow the virus to remain in an environment, to pass between animals and humans,” he said.
HOW MUCH IS THE DEATH RATE FROM THE MONKLE POLO VIRUS?
Monkeypox, known as one of the rare diseases caused by an endemic virus, is divided into two as Congo and West African species.
It is known that the Congo type of the virus has a mortality risk of up to 10 percent, while the West African strain has a 1 percent mortality rate in one of every 2 cases.
The virus, which is usually transmitted from animal to human and from human to human by close contact, can cause high fever and itchy blisters in the body.
“The sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries at the same time suggests that there may be an undetected transmission for some time. There may be many cases that have not yet been detected in many countries,” said Ghebreyesus.
IT HAS CONTINUOUSLY TRANSMITTED HUMAN TO HUMAN SINCE “2017”
On the other hand, monkeypox virus has been circulating in some countries for decades, including parts of West and Central Africa. A new study published this week by scientists at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland showed that monkeypox virus has been transmitted ‘almost continuously from person to person since 2017.
In this research, genetic sequences revealed that the first cases of monkeypox in 2022 resulted from an outbreak from 2017 to 2019 that resulted in cases in Singapore, Israel, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Michael Worobey, a professor and evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona in the USA, who was not involved in the research, said that this shows that this epidemic has been going on for a long time locally in other countries, as well as in places where the virus is endemic.
THE STORY OF TWO DIFFERENT EPIDEMIC
“This means that the monkeypox virus has failed to protect those in confined areas where it is endemic and to control it at source before it spreads globally. Indeed, this is the story of two different epidemics in poor and rich countries. “We have to start caring about all the countries in the world and control the spread of the virus,” he said.
On the other hand, epidemiologist Anne Rimoin, who has studied monkeypox for nearly two decades, has long warned that the spread of the disease in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo could have broader global health implications.
“If monkeypox occurs in a wildlife reservoir outside of Africa, it would be difficult to reverse the decline in public health,” said Rimoin, who is now a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Evaluating the current situation, Rimoin said, “The last monkeypox epidemic was difficult to predict in part because we could not trace its origins exactly. We don’t even know how long this has been spreading. It spread silently for a while. If we continue to see sustained person-to-person transmission, even at low levels, in this epidemic, this brings back the possibility of spread to animals in non-endemic countries “from an existential threat to a different possibility”. “Such a spread could then allow the virus to remain in an environment, to pass between animals and humans,” he said.
HOW MUCH IS THE DEATH RATE FROM THE MONKEYPOX VIRUS?
Monkey pox, known as one of the rare diseases caused by an endemic virus, is divided into two as Congo and West African species.
It is known that the Congo type of the virus has a mortality risk of up to 10 percent, while the West African strain has a 1 percent mortality rate in one of every 2 cases.
The virus, which is usually transmitted from animal to human and from human to human by close contact, can cause high fever and itchy blisters in the body.
HOW IS THE MONKEYPOX VIRUS TRANSMITTED?
“Monkey pox” is transmitted through close contact or sexual intercourse with an infected person. The virus enters the body through wounds and cracks on the skin, through the respiratory tract or from the mouth, nose and eyes. The virus is also transmitted by contact with infected animals such as monkeys, mice and squirrels. It can also pass through clothing or bedding.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MONKEYPOX VIRUS?
The disease begins with high fever, headache and itching. It is accompanied by sweating, back and muscle pain, and weakness. The rash usually first appears on the face and then spreads to the body.
DOES MONKEYPOX KILL THE VIRUS?
Most cases are mild. It looks like the “chicken pox” known as the childhood disease. Patients recover spontaneously within 14 to 21 days. Sometimes severe cases can be encountered. It is known that there are cases resulting in death in West Africa.
IS THERE A TREATMENT FOR THE MONKEYPOX VIRUS?
There is no cure for monkeypox. Outbreaks can be controlled with infection control methods. Smallpox vaccines are known to be 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox.
FLOWER VACCINES ARE UP TO 85% EFFECTIVE AGAINST VIRUSES
While the possibility of monkeypox cases to spread to other countries and turn into a global epidemic is discussed, it is also wondered whether there is an effective vaccine against the risk of death of the virus.
On the subject, the British Health Safety Agency shared the information that there is no specific vaccine for the monkeypox virus, but the smallpox vaccine provides some protection, and that the vaccine is offered to those who need it.
The World Health Organization (WHO) data also show that the vaccines used to eradicate smallpox are up to 85 percent effective against monkeypox virus disease.
