International News

The Monkeypox Epidemic

Author : Bozhou Marine

Update time : 2024-08-19 12:48:56

The monkeypox epidemic has once again attracted widespread attention from the international community.

The World Health Organization has announced that the monkeypox epidemic constitutes an "international public health emergency". According to WHO data, more than 15,600 cases of monkeypox have been reported so far this year, exceeding the total number of cases last year, including 537 deaths.

According to a bulletin issued by the WHO on the 14th, a new, more deadly strain of monkeypox virus is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa and has spread to African countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Data released by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 8th showed that at least 16 countries in Africa are currently affected by monkeypox; compared with the same period in 2023, the number of monkeypox cases reported in Africa this year has increased by 160%.

The monkeypox epidemic has now spread to Europe and Asia.

On the 15th local time, the acting director of the Swedish Public Health Agency announced that Sweden reported the first confirmed case of monkeypox. It is reported that this is the first confirmed case outside the African continent since the outbreak of this round of monkeypox.

Mara Campitiello, director of the Italian Ministry of Health's Prevention Department, said that the situation of monkeypox virus infection in Italy is currently "under control" and the latest variant infection cases have not yet been found. However, in the past two months, Italy has added 9 new cases of monkeypox infection, two in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, one in Lombardy, and six in Veneto.

Since the first case of infection was discovered in Italy in May 2022, 1,056 infections have been confirmed, of which 262 were related to travel abroad. Almost half of the cases (441) are in Lombardy. Next are Lazio (169 cases) and Emilia Romagna (97 cases).

In its latest risk assessment released on the 16th, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control pointed out that given the rapid spread of the "branch I" strain of monkeypox virus in Africa, Europe is likely to see more imported cases. However, as long as these imported cases can be diagnosed quickly and effective prevention and control measures are taken, the risk of continued spread of monkeypox virus in Europe remains low.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has raised the risk level for people in the European Union and the European Economic Area and for travelers to affected areas. People who travel to affected areas and have close contact with local communities are at "high risk"; people who have close contact with confirmed or suspected imported cases are at "medium risk".

"Given the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported cases of clade I monkeypox," said Pamela Lundy-Wagner, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The agency expects that by strengthening surveillance and emergency preparedness, and making full use of the medical resources and response capabilities of each member, the impact of the "clade I" strain of monkeypox virus on Europe will be relatively small. However, it should be noted that the strain that caused the outbreak in Africa this time is different from the 2022 strain, which is still circulating at low levels in Europe and around the world.

How Monkeypox Spreads?

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, and the source of infection includes monkeypox cases and infected non-human primates such as rodents, monkeys and apes.

The monkeypox virus mainly invades the human body through mucous membranes and broken skin, and is transmitted through direct contact with the diseased skin or mucous membranes of the case. It can also be transmitted through contact with virus-contaminated objects, long-term close inhalation of respiratory droplets of the case, contact with respiratory secretions, disease exudates, blood and other body fluids of infected animals, or infection and transmission by bites and scratches of infected animals.

After infection with the monkeypox virus, the incubation period is 5 to 21 days, mostly 6 to 13 days. The initial clinical manifestations are mainly fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes and other symptoms, which can then develop into a large rash on the face and body. Most infected people will recover within a few weeks, but some infected people will be seriously ill or even die.

The population is generally susceptible to the monkeypox virus, and there is a certain degree of cross-protection against the monkeypox virus after vaccination with smallpox vaccine. At present, the main transmission route of monkeypox is through sexual contact among men who have sex with men. At present, the general population is less likely to be infected with the monkeypox virus.

How to prevent monkeypox?

1. Avoid contact with people whose health status is unknown. Outbound tourists should pay attention to the epidemic information of monkeypox in the destination countries and regions, and avoid contact with rodents, primates and other animals.

2. If high-risk behaviors occur, self-health monitoring should be done for 21 days, and close contact with others should be avoided. If symptoms such as rash, herpes, fever, etc. occur, medical treatment should be sought in time, and the doctor should be informed of the relevant behavioral history.

3. If family members or friends are diagnosed with monkeypox, they should pay attention to personal protection, avoid close contact with patients, avoid contact with clothes, bedding, towels and other daily necessities used by patients, avoid sharing bathrooms, and wash hands and ventilate frequently.

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