Monkey Pox, Public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)
https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/monkeypox
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/about/index.html
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/monkeypox-outbreak-epidemiological-overview/mpox-monkeypox-outbreak-epidemiological-overview-8-august-2024
WHO, Wednesday, 14 August
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Monkeypox virus, double stranded DNA virus
Smallpox family of orthopoxviruses
Not related to chickenpox
First seen in monkeys, 1958
First human case 1970
Clade I
Causes more severe illness and deaths
Endemic to Central Africa
Clade II
Caused the global outbreak that began in 2022
Infections are less severe
99.9% of people survive
Endemic to West Africa
Democratic Republic of Congo
Clade 1b
Emerged September 2023, sex worker
This year, 15,000 infections, 548 deaths
Spread to Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
Sweden
One clade 1 case, returning traveller
Transmission
Person-to-person through close contact
Face-to-face (droplets or short-range aerosols)
There are no confirmed instances of airborne transmission
Limited household transmission has been described in the UK
Assessment (confidence):
Transmitting primarily through close or sexual contact (moderate)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/monkeypox-outbreak-technical-briefings/investigation-into-monkeypox-outbreak-in-england-technical-briefing-8
Skin-to-skin (and sex)
Mouth to mucous membranes
Mouth-to-mouth
Mouth-to-skin
Global outbreak that began in 2022
Mostly spread through sexual contact
Infectious period
Until lesions have crusted over, the scabs have fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed underneath.
Until lesions in the mouth, throat, eyes, vagina and anus have healed,
usually takes from 2 to 4 weeks.
Virus to persist for some time on textiles and fomites
Viral entry more likely through cuts or abrasions or touch eyes, nose, mouth or other mucous membranes
During pregnancy to the baby
From animals to humans
Classified as a zoonotic disease
Physical contact with an infected animal, monkeys, tree squirrel
Bites or scratches
Risk of Severe Disease
Immunocompromise
Children younger than 1
History of eczema
Pregnant women
Vaccines
Smallpox/monkeypox vaccine (JYNNEOS™) is made using weakened live vaccinia virus and cannot cause smallpox, monkeypox, or any other infectious disease.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/smallpox-monkeypox.html
