Just when the world thought it was done with the worst of COVID, the outbreak of another virus alarmed scientists.
Cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, the United States, Canada and Australia.
What worries experts is the unusual spread of the disease. Monkeypox usually circulates in Africa, with occasional cases of travel abroad. But according to the EU’s Centers for Disease Control, recent cases in Europe appear to have spread from person to person, for the first time, without a direct link to Africa. Moreover, health authorities in a number of countries have noted that the prevalence appears to be concentrated among gay or bisexual men.
POLITICO is digging into what we know so far.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a disease caused by a virus that belongs to the same family as smallpox.
Symptoms of monkeypox usually begin with fever, sore muscles, swollen lymph nodes, and headache. Usually within one to three days after the onset of fever, a distinct uneven rash begins to develop – often starting from the face – and spreads, including to the arms and legs.
However, monkeypox is less deadly than smallpox. The West African type that scientists have found in Europe has a mortality rate of just under 4 percent. No deaths have been reported so far in the recent epidemic in Europe, but smallpox can leave patients bedridden for days. The disease usually lasts between two to four weeks.
Where are the cases?
With this latest outbreak, the United Kingdom became the first country to discover a case of monkeypox on May 6. A total of nine people with the disease have been found in the country since then. The UK Health Security Agency said the cases were mostly gay or bisexual men. The virus has been found elsewhere in Europe. Portugal reported 14 cases of monkeypox, and Spain confirmed 30 cases. Meanwhile, Italy has three confirmed cases, Belgium two and Sweden have one confirmed case so far.
The Canadian Public Health Agency has confirmed two cases in the country. A case has also been reported in the United States, with the man recently traveling to Canada, while other possible cases have been reported. While Australia reports one confirmed case and another suspect.
Why are experts concerned?
Concern expressed by virologist Marion Kupmans is the fact that cases of monkeypox have been found in several different countries, given that monkeypox is usually not very contagious. Kupmans, head of Erasmus MC’s virology department, tweeted Thursday that the outbreak was “starting to get alarming”. She said that in the past, random import cases usually did not continue to spread. “In this situation, new cases have been opened in different countries,” she said. “It’s very unusual.”
Kupmans said the monkeypox may have become more portable and there is an “urgent need” for more information.
More generally, Michael Head, a senior researcher in global health at the University of Southampton, said the imported cases “show a wider burden of disease elsewhere in the world.”
“It may be that in the post-pandemic environment, we need to pay more attention to understanding the local and global effects of Lhasa, smallpox, Ebola and other rare but serious pathogens,” he said.
What do experts recommend?
The ECDC is asking public health groups to raise awareness about monkeypox in communities of people who identify as having sex with men who have multiple sexual partners or who have casual sex.
It is not known that monkeypox is sexually transmitted, the University of Southampton Head said earlier this week, commenting on the cases in the United Kingdom. “Rather, close contact here during sexual or intimate activity, including prolonged skin-to-skin contact, may be a key factor during transmission,” he explained.
Jimmy Whitworth, a professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the outbreak in the UK was “unprecedented”. However, he said that if cases were identified, isolated and treated, as well as close contacts identified and monitored, this could be “quickly brought under control”.
In countries where smallpox vaccines are available, the ECDC recommends that vaccination of high-risk close contacts be considered after a risk-benefit assessment. And if antiviral drugs are available, they should be considered to treat severe cases, the agency said. In the United Kingdom, smallpox vaccines are available to some health professionals, as well as to other risky contacts. In Spain, the newspaper El País reported that the country’s health ministry was preparing to purchase thousands of doses to help control the outbreak.
This article has been updated.
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