Monkeypox

The decision will empower the agency to take additional measures to try to curb the virus, which has now spread to more than 70 countries.

The Central African Republic and Nigeria — two of the countries were monkeypox is endemic — have reported five deaths so far in 2022. Governments must take this more seriously and work together internationally to bring this outbreak under control,” Golding said in a statement. “Nine and six is very, very close,” Tedros said in a news conference called to announce the decision. Four of the six were in men who have sex with men. Monkeypox infections lead to painful lesions and rashes, including vesicles forming on the palms. The same committee met just one month ago and declined to declare a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC.

The WHO last issued a global health emergency in response to Covid-19 in January 2020.

The U.S. is already distributing tens of thousands of doses of a vaccine called Jynneos in an effort to quash the outbreak. ACAM2000 uses a mild virus strain in the same family as monkeypox and smallpox to confer immunity. Men who have sex with men are at the highest risk right now, as the majority of transmission has occurred in the gay community. The CDC and WHO have said the rash is easily confused with common sexually transmitted diseases. Tedros warned stigma and discrimination are violations of human rights that will undermine the public health response to the outbreak. The WHO has said the international community did not invest enough resources in fighting monkeypox in Africa before the global outbreak. In 2020, the agency declared Covid a pandemic in an effort to warn complacent governments about the "alarming levels of spread and severity" of the virus. In contrast to Covid-19, monkeypox is not a new virus. Before a global health emergency is declared, the WHO's emergency committee meets to weigh the evidence and make a recommendation to the director general. She said public health authorities had a window of opportunity to contain the outbreak. The WHO last issued a global health emergency in January 2020 in response to the Covid-19 outbreak and two months later declared it a pandemic. Historically, monkeypox has spread at low levels in remote parts of West and Central Africa where rodents and other animals carried the virus.

Over 16000 cases and 5 deaths have been reported from more than 75 countries. Read more at straitstimes.com.

On Friday, the United States identified its first two monkeypox cases in children. When the committee first met at the end of June, there were only about 3,000 cases. Members of a WHO expert group were previously split over whether the monkeypox outbreak represents a global health emergency.

GENEVA: Faced with a surge in monkeypox cases, the head of the World Health Organization is expected on Saturday (Jul 23) to declare if the agency has ...

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GENEVA — For the second time in two years, the World Health Organization has taken the extraordinary step of declaring a global emergency.

It’s possible that only severe cases were detected in the endemic regions of Africa, and the current outbreak offers a more accurate picture of the disease, Dr. Eckerle said. Containing the virus may be even more challenging in countries with limited or no supply of vaccines and treatments. Dr. James Lawler, co-director of the University of Nebraska’s Global Center for Health Security, estimated that it might take a year or more to control the outbreak. Some — especially those who develop sores in the throat, urethra or rectum — have suffered excruciating pain. “We’ve now unfortunately really missed the boat on being able to put a lid on the outbreak earlier,” Dr. Lawler said. As of Saturday, the United States had recorded nearly 3,000 cases, including two children, but the real toll is thought to be much higher, as testing is only now being scaled up. This is one way that a disease can become endemic in a region. It is apparently the first time that the director general has overruled his advisers to declare a public health emergency. GENEVA — For the second time in two years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken the extraordinary step of declaring a global emergency. Some global health experts have criticized the WHO’s criteria for declaring such emergencies as opaque and inconsistent. The panel could not reach a decision on Thursday, Dr. Tedros said. The WHO’s declaration signals a public health risk requiring a coordinated international response.

The World Health Organization on Saturday declared the international monkeypox outbreak a global emergency, a decision that underscores concerns about ...

The WHO’s move is not likely to have a direct effect on the U.S. response. On Friday, health authorities reported the first two U.S. cases of monkeypox in children. They also noted scant evidence of substantial transmission beyond men who have sex with men and concerns that a health emergency would fuel discrimination against the LGBT community in countries where homosexuality is criminalized. Experts believe close contact during male-to-male sexual activity is a major driver of transmission in the ongoing outbreak. Monkeypox has spread across the world at an unprecedented rate in the last two months. The decision means the world is now confronting two viral diseases that have crossed the extraordinary threshold of being declared health emergencies: covid-19 and monkeypox.

The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the highest level of alert.

The declaration of another PHEIC should serve as stark reminder to world leaders of this modern reality and the weaknesses in our collective ability to prepare and respond. But governments must also support more research to understand why we are seeing new patterns of transmission, evaluate the effectiveness of our current tools and support the development of improved interventions.” The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the spread of monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of alert.

A month ago, I convened the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to assess whether the multi-country monkeypox outbreak represented a ...

Although I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern, for the moment this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners. For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern. The International Health Regulations remains a vital tool for responding to the international spread of disease. Under the International Health Regulations, I am required to consider five elements in deciding whether an outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. A month ago, I convened the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to assess whether the multi-country monkeypox outbreak represented a public health emergency of international concern. On this occasion, the committee was unable to reach a consensus on whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.

1.e. Raise awareness about monkeypox virus transmission, related prevention and protective measures, and symptoms and signs of monkeypox among communities that ...

They were unable to reach consensus regarding advice to the WHO Director-General on whether the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox should or should not be determined to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Supportive elements regarding the views expressed by the Members of the Committee in favour or not in favour of such a determination are summarized below. - The stigma, marginalization, and discrimination that a determination of a PHEIC may generate against the currently affected communities, especially in countries where homosexuality is criminalized, LGBTI+ communities are not well established and engaged in a dialogue with governments. With regards to the potential changes in the virus genome, investigations are ongoing in relation to the reports of changes that may affect features of the virus. To date, there is currently no documented evidence of instances of anthropozoonotic transmission available to the WHO Secretariat or its One Health partners the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). With the exception of Nigeria, the remaining four countries reported that 99% of cases were occurring in MSM, and mainly among those with multiple partners. The Committee noted the generally moderate level of confidence in the available data to make any informed determination on these considerations. Modelling work conducted by European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) suggests that isolation of cases and contact tracing could be effective in bringing the outbreak under control. Members and Advisers were also reminded of their duty of confidentiality as to the meeting discussions and the work of the Committee, as well as their individual responsibility to disclose to WHO, in a timely manner, any interests of a personal, professional, financial, intellectual or commercial nature that may give rise to a perceived or direct conflict of interest. 2.b.i. Raise awareness about monkeypox virus transmission, actions to reduce the risk of onward transmission to others and clinical presentation in communities affected by the outbreak, which may vary by context, and promote the uptake and appropriate use of prevention measures and adoption of informed risk mitigation measures. 1.b. Plan for, and/or implement, interventions to avoid the stigmatization and discrimination against any individual or population group that may be affected by monkeypox, with the goal of preventing further undetected transmission of monkeypox virus. Policies related to the management of contacts should encompass health, psychological, material and essential support to adequate living. The Committee Members did not reach a consensus regarding their advice on determination of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for this event.

GENEVA: The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday (Jul 23) declared the monkeypox outbreak as a global health emergency - the highest ...

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It showed up in Stanford's Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network, which is the only group publishing data on monkeypox in US wastewater.

In recent years, monkeypox has killed 3 to 6 percent of those it infects, and it is deadlier in young children. A question remains as to how much monkeypox DNA needs to get into the wastewater for SCAN to actually detect it. SCAN is, at present, the only effort releasing data on monkeypox in wastewater. It could be the beginning of new era in disease prevention. That includes respiratory and nasal secretions, spit, urine, feces, and semen—meaning a flushed tissue from someone with monkeypox can register the virus in wastewater. There is no evidence that you can contract monkeypox from wastewater itself. If a pathogen’s genetic footprint can persist in wastewater for over 24 hours, SCAN can likely detect it. Monkeypox is in the same virus family as smallpox but is less infectious and generally has more mild symptoms. Running water over these open sores in the shower or while washing your hands can catapult monkeypox DNA into wastewater. In late 2021, wastewater surveillance suggested the omicron variant was prevalent in the US much earlier than clinical testing reported. Last month, Stanford’s Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network, or SCAN, added monkeypox to the suite of viruses it checks wastewater for daily. It's the only public effort in the US to test if monkeypox is detectable in the shower, sink, and toilet water that is sent to wastewater treatment plants for decontamination.

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday (Jul 23) declared the monkeypox outbreak, which has affected nearly 17000 people in 74 countries, ...

It's inevitable that cases will dramatically rise in the coming weeks & months. On Jun 23, the WHO Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement

The monkeypox outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, the head of the World Health Organization said, overruling a divided expert ...

It was his third try in five days. Andy's anal sores were internal; for patients to qualify for testing, C.D.C. guidelines required the appearance of lesions on ...

This was the first day of the first monkeypox vaccination site in the country. The event was organized in a hurry, publicized with a health-department press release that bled onto social media, and staged at midday on a work day, in Chelsea, one of the wealthier gay haunts in the city. One might suppose a pathogen outbreak elsewhere in the world would trigger a notification to local and state governments about the pathogen’s attributes, known treatments, and vaccines, and a plan for what to expect if cases are found in their jurisdiction. And if there’s a small number of tests (mainly in gay men), it’s no surprise that there’ll be a small number of confirmed cases (mainly in gay men), and that, therefore, the situation appears to be under control. The guidelines restricting who can be tested largely remain the same, but additional commercial labs around the country can now run monkeypox tests, and health-care providers can send samples to them directly. To enroll, a sick patient must find a physician who’ll review and sign onto a C.D.C. protocol that is, as Andy said, “a humble hundred and twenty-four pages long.” Andy’s primary-care doctor said that the protocol was too complicated for his practice. She listened to his symptoms, presumed he was positive, and had Andy tested the next day. Andy had to tap personal connections through his employer to find a physician to sign on. The first reported case was in 1970, in a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a place many associate with the words “gorillas,” “jungle,” and “war,” but which I associate with “family,” “comedy,” and “melodrama.” (Kinshasa, the capital, is my mother’s home town and where a huge portion of my family lives.) Monkeypox’s name conjures tales of illness emerging from the jungled heart of darkness to infect the world, but it likely didn’t originate in monkeys. The doctor felt the inflammation and wanted to help, Andy told me, but after conferring with an infectious-disease specialist, the doctor was told that Andy likely had S.T.D.s (even though he had tested negative days earlier) or something else was wrong. When internal lesions appeared, Andy rushed to the emergency room at N.Y.U. Throughout the night, he voiced his concerns about monkeypox and tried to persuade the doctor to check his anal lesions. Andy’s anal sores were internal; for patients to qualify for testing, C.D.C. guidelines required the appearance of lesions on the skin.

In the early days of the outbreak, Kevin Kwong was among several people who spent days in search of the right diagnosis.

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Two days after my symptoms began, the rash started as anorectal lesions – painful sores on my anus and rectum. Initially it was a stinging, itchy feeling. I ...

The day after I started the treatment, 13 July, I finally got a call from a contact tracer from the department of health, who said I may have been exposed to monkeypox on 26 June. I told her I already have monkeypox, and she asked me about my symptoms. So that was apparently how I was one of the lucky few to be invited for treatment. I did a video with someone in my PCP’s office and they said, “I think you should go to the ER.” The ER determined it was bacterial tonsillitis, and they gave me a round of antibiotics. The department of health would say, “Oh no, your PCP has to request treatment for you.” Then I would contact my PCP, and they were like, “We can bring the case to the department of health, but just so you know, they deny most of our requests, so don’t get your hopes up.” I knew the CDC had put out guidance around who should be considered for treatment, and that included people who had anorectal lesions, lesions in the throat and dermatological conditions, which I did. I had them on my skull, on my face, my arms, my legs, my feet, my hands, my torso, my back, and five just on my right elbow. It felt like I had three fissures right next to each other, and it was absolutely excruciating. I had all the symptoms of monkeypox and thankfully nobody questioned whether or not I should receive a test. I had a tele-health visit with my primary-care physician (PCP) and she agreed that I should get tested. I was told that it would be mild, and I was a completely healthy individual with no underlying conditions. I texted a friend: I’m just sitting here waiting for the rash to start. What I didn’t understand was how absolutely dismal testing capacity was: at that point, the city only had capacity to process ten tests a day.

VIENNA/TOKYO -- Monkeypox, a tropical disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, has prompted the World Health Organization's latest international hea.

Delhi Monkeypox Case Live Updates: West Delhi resident with no history of travel outside India has been confirmed positive for Monkeypox.

The WHO and national governments have been facing intense pressure from scientists and public health experts to take more action on monkeypox. Tedros and the health organization had faced criticism in some quarters that they acted too slowly to ratchet up the alarms on Covid. It can be used to encourage nations to cooperate on countermeasures, while letting the agency recommend steps such as travel advisories. The illness often lasts for two weeks to a month, and can be deadly. AAP's national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will be on a Gujarat visit on July 26. Directorate General of Civil Aviation has started a two month long special audit of airlines following this month's spot checks that revealed that inadequate and unqualified engineering personnel are certifying carriers' planes before their departure.

Hi folks, Kristen here with some breaking weekend news: The head of the World Health Organization has just declared that the monkeypox outbreak is a public ...

In view of the monkeypox cases in India, and considering reports stating that monkeypox is a viral zoonotic infection and it spreads mostly through human ...

The ICMR notified that, “to help country's preparedness for Monkey Pox detection, 15 Virus Research & Diagnostic Laboratories across the country, which are geographically well distributed & strategically located, have already been trained in the diagnostic test by ICMR -NIV, Pune." Notably, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) trained 15 research and diagnostic laboratories across the country for early detection of the virus. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief declared, "I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern." As per latest reports, a 34-year-old man from Delhi, with no history of foreign travel, tested positive for the monkeypox virus. Notably, the first three confirmed cases of monkeypox in India have been reported from Kerala. India's second monkeypox case was reported in Kerala's Kannur district on July 18, just four days prior to that, on July 14, the country's very first case was also reported in Kerala. In view of the rise in monkeypox cases in India, and considering reports informing that monkeypox is a viral zoonotic infection and it spreads mostly through human contact, the Union Health Ministry released new guidelines in an attempt to mitigate the outbreak and listed out points for the general public to avoid the contracting the virus. With over 17,000 people in 74 countries affected by the monkeypox outbreak, the World Health Organization on Saturday finally declared it to be a global health emergency, notably the highest alarm it can sound.

Out of the four cases reported in the country so far, the first three cases were reported from Kerala and the most recent one was confirmed in Delhi.

The Delhi case is not imported — unlike the three cases in Kerala earlier, the patient has no history of international travel.

However, the smallpox vaccine, with which older Indians have been immunised over the past decades, works against monkeypox, and provides long-lasting immunity. There have been over 16,000 cases reported from 75 countries in the world. Monkeypox spreads from person to person through close contact with someone who has a monkeypox rash. Other than the possibility of sexual transmission, human-to-human transmission is known to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets. It is a 31-year-old man from West Delhi who was admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital two days ago with a history of two weeks of fever and rashes. The person did not travel out of India. But he travelled to Himachal Pradesh before he fell sick.

Tamil Nadu Minister Ma. Subramanian has said that 'not a single case of monkeypox' has been reported from the state, even as the country reported its 4th ...

Meanwhile, Delhi on Sunday reported the first case of monkeypox in the country. Earlier on Saturday, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern, looking at the expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern." According to World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonotic infection caused by the monkeypox virus. Notably, the earlier monkeypox cases reported in India were from nationals who returned home from the Middle Eastern countries. “As of 11 in the morning, over 2,64,597 doses have been administered.

Perspectives of clinicians treating patients with the disease. 24 July 2022. In just over two months a global outbreak of monkeypox in non-endemic countries ...

Even so, it is important to point out that MSM are currently at higher risk of contracting monkeypox because of the social and sexual networks in which the disease has been spreading the fastest. This will protect your health and the health of those you hold close. "Most people are looking for what they've been told to watch out for on social media -- so a rash -- but it's not what we always see. "At the beginning of May I had several patients presenting with what appeared to be ulcers. However, since then we have also seen others as a result of referrals from our sexual health clinic". Dr Francisco Silva is a General Practitioner in Lisbon, Portugal, who also works at a sexual health clinic in the city.

After World Health Organization (WHO) declared the MonkeyPox virus a public health emergency of international concern, White House said that coordinated ...

More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Both of them are doing well, but they had contact with other people, and the CDC is following up on that, Walensky added. But the director did note that the United States on Friday detected two monkeypox cases in children for the first time. However, in view of the emerging situation, he noted, "But that is not enough.

Arvind Kejriwal informed the public that Delhi will have a separate isolation ward at LNJP to prevent the highly transmissible monkeypox virus from ...

The chief minister additionally notified that the national capital will have a separate isolation ward at LNJP to prevent the highly transmissible monkeypox virus from spreading. Three cases of monkeypox had earlier been reported from Kerala. The WHO had on Saturday declared monkeypox as a global public health emergency of international concern. “The first case of Monkeypox was detected in Delhi. The patient is stable and recovering.

Monkeypox virus is transmitted from infected animals to humans via indirect or direct contact. Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with ...

We need to stay alert and prepared to roll out intense response to curtail further spread of monkeypox,” Dr. Khetrapal Singh said. Transmission can also occur from contaminated materials such as linen, bedding, electronics, and clothing that have infectious skin particles. “Monkeypox has been spreading rapidly and to many countries that have not seen it before, which is a matter of great concern. Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries. “Though the risk of monkeypox globally and in the region is moderate, the potential of its further international spread is real. The situation is under control.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday confirmed three new cases of monkeypox virus, taking the total caseload to 16. In a statement, the UAE Health Ministry ...

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. "WHO's assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where we assess the risk as high," he added. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday declared the monkeypox outbreak to be a global health emergency, its highest alert level for a disease.

Unlike Covid-19, monkeypox is primarily transmitted through close, prolonged contact. Read more at straitstimes.com.

This is critical to stopping the spread." Stigmatising its transmission will undermine public health efforts to limit the further spread." I can think of no really good restrictive measure that will effectively block the spread of monkeypox in Singapore," he said. "I think the reason to have restrictive measures will be to control or slow down the spread of a contagious disease. Dr Khoo added: "It is (important) to ensure the communication is managed accurately so as to avoid any potential stigma and create trust between authorities, the public and the affected population. Dr Khoo said that for now, targeted measures such as early testing, isolation of people when infectious, and contact tracing among high-risk populations and close contacts will be the main measures to stop the spread.

The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a public health emergency of global concern. From how it spreads to preventive measures, here's what ...

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Experts in Singapore have said there is currently no need for any widespread or major health restrictions to stem the spread of monkeypox.

The virus has spread to 75 countries but remains almost entirely confined to gay and bisexual men | Science & technology.

If countries’ tussling for covid-19 jabs in the early days of the pandemic is a guide, that will be the organisation’s toughest job. It has been used against monkeypox in America and Europe based on limited data of efficacy from monkeypox outbreaks in Africa. About half of countries that are currently reporting monkeypox cases have secured some amount of the vaccine, says the who. One of its tasks now is to ensure that the supplies rolling off production lines are sent to where they are needed the most. That probably explains, at least in part, the higher mortality among monkeypox cases in Africa (where as many as 3-6% of cases can be fatal). There have been no deaths so far among the thousands of cases diagnosed in Western countries. In the current outbreak about 70% of cases are in Europe and 15% are in America, though far more limited testing in other regions means that transmission chains there may be going undetected. On july 23rd the World Health Organisation (who) declared the spread of monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern”, the highest level of alert in its hierarchy of warnings.

The rare designation may help spur more investment in combatting the once rare disease amid a scramble for scarce vaccines. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom ...

"Vaccination in the West might help stop the outbreak there, but there will still be cases in Africa," he said. So far, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading. However, in Europe, North America and other regions, monkeypox is spreading from human to human without links to animals or travel to Africa. At the time, 3,040 monkeypox cases had been reported in 47 countries, he said. "So in short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little," he said. While a global emergency is the organization's highest alert level, it doesn't always mean a disease is highly transmissible or lethal. There have been 2,891 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the U.S. as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States reporting cases have received 370,000 vaccine doses. As a more dangerous version of the virus spreads mainly in Nigeria and the Congo, the only monkeypox deaths as of now have been reported in Africa, where it mainly spreads to people from infected animals such as rodents. On Friday, the U.S. reported its first two cases of monkeypox in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the virus has been found in parts of central and west Africa for decades, monkeypox began to spread more widely in May as authorities reported dozens of epidemics globally. "... For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern." The head of the U.N. health agency said Saturday that monkeypox is a global emergency after the World Health Organization's expert committee didn't reach a consensus on whether to urge a coordinated international response to prevent the virus's spread.

By declaring monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, how does the WHO plan to tackle and contain its spread?

Recently, in May 2022, several cases of the disease were reported from regions where monkeypox was not endemic, and most cases had a history of travel to Europe or North America and not Africa. Before the current outbreak, monkeypox was predominantly reported from Africa while all cases reported in patients from other countries were linked to travel to regions where the disease was commonly found or because of contact with imported animals. Studies are now being conducted to understand the effectiveness and feasibility of vaccination in preventing monkeypox. The WHO reports that vaccination against smallpox is approximately 85% effective in preventing monkeypox and thus prior immunisation against smallpox may lead to mild disease. Genomic surveillance of the pathogen provides a unique opportunity to trace the contact networks as well as evaluate the continued evolution of the virus. Firstly there is a wealth of information on the virus and methods to contain the spread, as well as management of the disease, thanks to researchers from Africa who have been able to contain outbreaks for decades. The disease presents with symptoms that are similar to those previously seen in smallpox patients, although it is less contagious and less severe.

The virus is transmitted through close contact with infected animals, mostly rodents, or humans. 2003: First outbreak outside Africa. In June 2003, the disease ...

The number of infections in New York doubles in under a week to several hundred. On July 14, the US CDC reports more than 11,000 confirmed cases in some 60 countries where monkeypox is not usually found. It becomes endemic in the tropical rainforests of central and west Africa, where 11 countries report cases. The strain currently circulating outside Africa is the milder of two known versions. Most of those affected are gay men. In May 2022, a flurry of cases is detected in countries outside Africa, in people with no travel links to the region.

The virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the variola virus, the cause of smallpox; the vaccinia virus, which is used in the smallpox vaccine ...

Since then, most cases in humans have occurred in rainforest areas of West and Central Africa. In 2003, the first outbreak outside of Africa occurred in the US and was linked to animals imported from Ghana to Texas, which then infected pet prairie dogs. The existence of asymptomatic infections indicates that the virus might be transmitted to close contacts in the absence of symptoms, which suggests that identifying and isolating only symptomatic patients won’t be enough to contain the outbreak, and that vaccinating high-risk individuals is needed. Analysis of the genetic sequence of the virus collected from patients in Europe indicates that the current outbreak in non-endemic countries is caused by a strain that likely diverged from the monkeypox virus that sparked a 2018-19 Nigerian outbreak, according to a June 24 study in Nature Medicine. The authors, from Portugal’s National Institute of Health in Lisbon, identified some 50 genetic changes or differences compared with the original strain, including several mutations the authors associate with increased transmissibility. The authors said that might suggest that the virus circulated in Belgium before the outbreak was detected. Asymptomatic carriership was previously thought to play a negligible role in the spread of orthopoxviruses, the authors said. The virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the variola virus, the cause of smallpox; the vaccinia virus, which is used in the smallpox vaccine; and cowpox virus. Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in mid-July that the window for controlling the US outbreak “has probably closed” and that only a small fraction of the cases in the country have been reported, with infections now occurring across the broader population. The finding, by researchers at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, was reported in a study released July 5 before it was peer-reviewed and published. It’s a newer vaccine based on non-replicating versions of the vaccinia virus that’s sold as Jynneos in the US and Imamune in Canada. Supply is limited, according to Osterholm and Gellin, who said more research is needed to determine whether intradermal, as opposed to intramuscular, administration and other dose-sparing approaches can provide adequate immune protection. In endemic areas of Africa, it was thought that was related to hunting practices, whereas in the current outbreak, most individuals are men aged 21 to 40 years who have sex with men, people with multiple sexual partners, or people who practice condom-less sex. A UK study found anonymous sex has proved to be a barrier to effective contact tracing, with only 28% of men able to provide the names of all recent sexual contacts. The global eradication of smallpox more than 40 years ago was one of the greatest achievements in public-health history, vanquishing a cause of death, blindness and disfigurement that had plagued humanity for at least 3,000 years.

In very rare cases, the disease has proven fatal. Australia has a vaccine and a treatment available. Although, according to the Australian department of health, ...

Of those, 98 per cent are in men who have sex with other men. What does monkeypox look like? According to the Australian Department of Health, most people don't require treatment for monkeypox and fully recover from the virus in a few weeks. Here's what we know. The amount of time between being infected and showing symptoms can typically range between seven and 14 days, but can range from five to 21 days, according to Department of Health information. Thousands of cases of monkeypox have been reported from several countries where the virus isn't endemic, including in Australia.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency. The committee of independent advisers who met on ...

The large majority of infections are still occurring in men who have sex with men. Hopefully, it may also stimulate funding for research and improvements in the capacity in endemic countries to manage the disease. Another argument is that the severity of the disease outside appears to be low. But it is plausible that the apparent dip in new infections is the gap between consecutive waves. So although occasional infections can spill over into populations other than men who have sex with men, further significant spread is unlikely. As of July 22, there have been 16,593 confirmed infections in 68 countries that have not historically reported monkeypox.

There are now 16000 cases of monkeypox in 75 countries, including Australia. Here's what health authorities are facing with the spread of the disease.

Of those, 98 per cent are in men who have sex with other men. What does monkeypox look like? According to the Australian Department of Health, most people don't require treatment for monkeypox and fully recover from the virus in a few weeks. Here's what we know. The amount of time between being infected and showing symptoms can typically range between seven and 14 days, but can range from five to 21 days, according to Department of Health information. Thousands of cases of monkeypox have been reported from several countries where the virus isn't endemic, including in Australia.

The benefits of mass vaccination against monkeypox do not outweigh the risk, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung after the WHO declared the outbreak a global ...

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MOH does not recommend mass vaccination because the benefits do not outweigh the risk, said Ong Ye Kung. Read more at straitstimes.com.

A study published in the New England Journal Of Medicine last week said 95 per cent of monkeypox cases were transmitted through sexual activity. “The decision doesn’t create a whole lot of money or activity... Otherwise, it is driven underground and that is where the threat lies.” MOH said the healthcare system has the expertise and capability to effectively test, diagnose and treat monkeypox infections. These include protocols for isolating confirmed cases and quarantining close contacts for 21 days from the date of exposure. He tested positive for the disease on Sunday after developing rashes in the groin area, and had fever and swollen lymph nodes.

Monkeypox is a viral disease that is typically self-limiting, with patients recovering within 14 to 21 days. Those who are infected usually experience fever, ...

None of the cases so far are linked. Advertisement Advertisement

Telangana: The person, who showed symptoms of monkeypox, came from Kuwait on July 6 and developed fever on July 20.

On Saturday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern. Apart from flu-like symptoms, monkey pox causes enlargement of lymph nodes or glands, which are there in the body. Meanwhile, Delhi reported the first case of monkeypox on Sunday. With this, the tally of such cases in India has risen to four. In a tweet, Kejriwal said, "The patient is stable and recovering. "We have identified six people who were in contact with the person. However, we isolated them: Director of Public Health, Telangana

Ong said that this was due to the "self-limiting" nature of the disease, and said that the benefits of mass vaccinations for monkeypox do not outweigh its risks ...

"The cases were promptly isolated. Ong added, however, that the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee of WHO did not come to a consensus on this declaration. Ong said that this was due to the "self-limiting" nature of the disease, and said that the benefits of mass vaccinations for monkeypox do not outweigh its risks.