More countries have confirmed cases of monkeypox infections on Friday (May 27, 2022), even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has cited the risk of “community spread” of the virus.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), meanwhile, has admitted the "theoretical" possibility of airborne transmission of monkeypox virus.
From May 23 to May 27, the number of confirmed cases has jumped from 160 to 225. A senior WHO official said the number would grow with increased surveillance. Health authorities around the world have so far confirmed 226 monkeypox cases.
22 countries
There are 22 countries — outside its usual “endemicity” base in Africa — that have so far detected the virus in a huge swathe of the world, including Europe, the Americas, Australia and the Middle East.
Israel, Czech Republic, Slovenia reported their first cases earlier this week, and Finland confirmed their first case on Friday. Israel and the UAE are also among the first countries in the Middle East region to record cases.
Physical contact
As the research and the medical fraternity try to understand more about the viral infection of the smallpox-like virus — and the route of infection — WHO has stated that monkeypox primarily spreads thru physical contact with someone with symptoms as well as “respiratory droplets”.
Also, Jay Hooper, a virologist at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Maryland said monkeypox is no SARS-CoV-2.
The reason: It does not transmit from person to person readily. In addition, due to its genetic affinity to the smallpox virus, there are already treatments and vaccines available on hand to limit its spread.
Airborne transmission possible: CDC
Other experts assert say that the monkeypox virus can spread by air too, citing at least one study and WHO documents indicating monkeypox is either “airborne”, o r“aerosol stable — for up to 90 hours”. It remains infective during that time.
The CDC has not also discounted the “theoretical” possibility of airborne transmission. In one report, it stated that “because of the theoretical risk of airborne transmission of monkeypox virus, airborne precautions should be applied whenever possible.”
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While "men having sex men” (MSM) were seen behind clusters of outbreaks in some European countries, Canada reported the first case of monkeypox in a school-aged child in Quebec.
'Monkeypox is not SARS-COV-2'
Nature, in a recent article, described monkeypox as “less lethal than smallpox.” While there’s no need to panic, the journal explains why scientists are on alert.
“The emergence of the virus in separate populations around the world, in locations where it doesn’t usually appear has alarmed scientists — and sent them racing for answers,” it stated.
“It’s eye-opening to see this kind of spread,” says Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has studied monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than a decade.
“It’s eye-opening to see this kind of spread,” says Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has studied monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than a decade.
It’s eye-opening to see this kind of spread.
Updates:
> No monkeypox-related deaths have been reported.
> The European Union has confirmed 118 cases of monkeypox in 13 countries, including: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden (based on European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) report).
> Spain and Portugal have reported the largest outbreaks in the EU with 51 and 37 cases respectively.
> The United Kingdom has confirmed 90 cases of the virus infection as of Friday, according to the U.K. Health Security Agency.
> The US has confirmed 9 monkeypox cases in 7 states.
> As of Friday, 26 cases had been confirmed in Canada as the virus has been detected in a new province.
> This brings to 226 the confirmed monkeypox cases and more than 100 suspected cases detected outside of countries where it is “endemic (usually circulates), according to the World Health Organisation.
> The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged nations to “increase surveillance” of the infectious disease as outbreaks grow.
> Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said more cases of the monkeypox illness will likely be reported as surveillance expands.
> Van Kerkhove, however, added that the recent spread is containable”. “We expect more cases to be detected. We are asking countries to increase surveillance,” Van Kerkhove said.
> “This is a containable situation. It will be difficult, but it’s a containable situation in the non-endemic countries,” she said.
> A milder West African strain of the virus is driving the outbreaks and most patients recover in a few weeks.
Abbott developing test for monkeypox
Abbott Laboratories said on Thursday it is actively developing a test for monkeypox, as the disease spreads in various countries.
The company will provide the test kits to partners of its Pandemic Defense Coalition, a network of scientific and public health partnerships aimed at identifying future pandemic threats, an Abbott spokesperson told Reuters. "As the situation evolves, we will take steps to address additional testing needs," the spokesperson said.
Abbott's announcement comes on a day when the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed it has identified nine monkeypox cases in seven US states.
Abbott is the second company to announce its development of monkeypox tests following Roche's announcement on Wednesday.
