Monkeypox virus outbreak

Outbreak at glance. Since 13 May 2022, cases of monkeypox have been reported to WHO from 12 Member States that are not endemic for monkeypox virus, ...

If the contact develops a rash, they need to be isolated and evaluated as a suspected case, and a specimen should be collected for laboratory analysis to test for monkeypox. Large gatherings may represent a conducive environment for the transmission of monkeypox virus as they entail close, prolonged and frequent interactions among people, which in turn can expose attendees to contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials. Health information and advice should be provided avoiding any form of stigmatization of certain groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM). If monkeypox is suspected, the investigation should consist of (i) clinical examination of the patient using appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, (ii) questioning the patient about possible sources of infection and the presence of similar disease in the patient’s community and contacts, and (iii) safe collection and dispatch of specimens for monkeypox laboratory examination. Countries should be on the alert for signals related to patients presenting with unusual rash, vesicular or pustular lesions or lymphadenopathy, often associated with fever, in a range of community and health care settings, including but not limited to primary care, fever clinics, sexual health services, infectious disease units, obstetrics and gynecology, and dermatology clinics. Probable and confirmed cases should be reported immediately to WHO through IHR National Focal Points (NFPs) under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). Uncertainty remains on the natural history of the monkeypox virus and further studies are needed to identify the exact reservoir(s) and how virus circulation is maintained in nature. The situation is evolving and WHO expects there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries. Any patient with suspected monkeypox should be investigated and if confirmed, isolated until their lesions have crusted, the scab has fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath. Countries currently reporting cases of the West African clade are Cameroon and Nigeria. With this case definition, all countries except these four should report new cases of monkeypox as part of the current multi-country outbreak. The situation is evolving and WHO expects there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries. It is caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family.

Monkey Pox Symptoms: The World Health Organization called for an emergency meeting on Friday, May 20, following the outbreak of monkeypox.

Prof Sir Peter Horby, the director of the University of Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute has stated- “We’re in a very new situation, that is a surprise and a worry. Recently, The World Health Organization has confirmed the spread of this viral infection in around 11 countries with about 80 cases of monkeypox recorded as of right now. The virus is said to infect the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract- eyes, nose, and mouth. No cases of the Monkeypox viral infection have been reported in India, or any other Asian countries as of right now. Monkeypox is a viral infection, belonging to the same category as smallpox. The organization suspected that more cases will likely be recorded in the coming days after thorough surveillance of the outbreak.

The outbreak of monkeypox in countries where the virus is not endemic is highly unusual, according to scientists.

A person they had been in contact with has been informed, the canton added The outbreak in countries where the virus is not endemic is highly unusual, according to scientists. The outbreak of monkeypox in countries where the virus is not endemic is highly unusual, according to scientists.

“The Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) have met and will continue to meet to ...

“States and territories are alerting clinicians to be on the lookout for potential cases and to report any cases to their relevant state and territory authorities urgently so that a public health response can be activated,” Bennett added. “This is not anywhere near as transmissible, we do need to have a public health response and it needs to be proportionate, but beyond contact tracing and public health measures, it doesn’t really have implications for the rest of us at this stage.” Australian travellers returning from, or going to, countries where cases have been identified, are urged to be aware of the signs of infection and to seek medical help if they think they may be at risk. Bennett said that whilst a number of the recently identified cases have self-reported as gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men - “monkeypox has not been described as a sexually transmitted disease”. As a precaution, passengers seated near one of the men onboard flight EY10 from London to Abu Dhabi on May 14 and flight EY462 from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne, which landed at 5.45am on May 16, have been asked to do the same. “The Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) have met and will continue to meet to monitor the situation.”

Monkeypox cases are spreading across the UK and people are being urged to look out for symptoms - so what is the disease and how does it spread?

Two of these cases have known contacts in common. It is carrying out contact tracing of people who have been in close contact with the affected. The virus spreads through close contact and the UKHSA is advising people, particularly those who are gay, bisexual or who have sex with men, to be alert to any unusual rashes or lesions on any part of their body. She said it is "stretching the workforce" but in terms of the infection and its consequences for individuals, she is "not that concerned". A link was first drawn between gay men and monkeypox in the UK earlier in the week, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) urging men who have sex with men to be alert to any new rashes or lesions on their body. Monkeypox cases are spreading across the UK and people are being urged to look out for symptoms - so what is the disease and how does it spread?

David Heymann says experts developing guidance for countries, as New York City resident tests positive for Orthopoxvirus.

State and city officials have said they will try to determine how the New York patient was infected. “It was originally isolated out of a monkey, but monkeys aren’t the natural host. The WHO warned more cases are likely to emerge. The notification came a day after authorities in New York City said they were investigating two potential cases. Health officials in several countries have warned that cases could rise further over the summer. “There are vaccines available, but the most important message is: you can protect yourself,” he said.

Monkeypox, which is related to the now eradicated smallpox virus, is endemic in parts of west and central Africa.

Alternatively, it could just be that we have an encountered a perfect storm of conditions that have allowed the virus to spread this way. Monkeypox, which is related to the now eradicated smallpox virus, is endemic in parts of West and central Africa. The UKHSA said “a notable proportion of early cases detected have been in gay and bisexual men” so it was “urging this community in particular to be alert”. I think the latter scenario is the more likely one.” Monkeypox, which is related to the now eradicated smallpox virus, is endemic in parts of west and central Africa “In addition, monkeypox has an incubation period of between one and three weeks so it is likely we will see new infections among those who were in early contact with the outbreak’s first cases.”

Monkeypox, which is related to the now eradicated smallpox virus, is endemic in parts of west and central Africa.

The UKHSA said “a notable proportion of early cases detected have been in gay and bisexual men” so it was “urging this community in particular to be alert”. “What’s unusual about what we’re seeing now is that we’re seeing transmission occurring in the community in Europe,” he said. Previously, Charlotte Hammer, an expert on emerging diseases at Cambridge University, said she is “certain” cases will surge and that we will “see new infections among those were in early contact with the outbreak’s first cases”, while US President Joe Biden claimed “everybody should be concerned”. Monkeypox, which is related to the now eradicated smallpox virus, is endemic in parts of West and central Africa. “The community transmission is largely centred in urban areas and we are predominantly seeing it in individuals who self-identify as gay or bisexual, or other men who have sex with men.” Monkeypox, which is related to the now eradicated smallpox virus, is endemic in parts of west and central Africa

Those who contract the virus will now have to self-isolate for three weeks, Belgian health authorities have said, after three cases were recorded in the ...

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958, with the first reported human case in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. Early genomic sequencing of a handful of the cases in Europe has suggested a similarity with the strain that spread in a limited fashion in Britain, Israel and Singapore in 2018. 'We are detecting more cases on a daily basis and I'd like to thank all of those people who are coming forward for testing to sexual health clinics, to the GPs and emergency department." As of Saturday, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported from 12 member states that are not endemic for the virus, the UN agency said, adding it will provide further guidance and recommendations in coming days for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox. 'We are detecting more cases on a daily basis and I'd like to thank all of those people who are coming forward for testing to sexual health clinics, to the GPs and emergency department." The World Health Organisation said it expects to identify more cases of monkeypox as it expands surveillance in countries where the disease is not typically found. Human cases were recorded for the first time in the US in 2003 and the UK in September 2018. Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, warns of a 'significant' rise in infections across the UK in the coming weeks One of the first known cases of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient's hand on June 5, 2003, via a picture released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, has also said the outbreak could have a 'massive impact' on access to sexual health services in Britain. The infections, the first of which was recorded on Friday, are all linked to a festival in the port city of Antwerp. Belgium has become the first country to introduce a compulsory 21-day monkeypox quarantine - as 14 countries now confirm outbreaks o f the viral disease and doctors warn of a 'significant rise' in UK cases

Experts say there is 'reason to assume' that the virus endemic to west Africa had been brought in by visitors from abroad including to fetish festival in ...

In Belgium, three cases have also been linked to a fetish festival in Antwerp, according to The Daily Telegraph. In the Spanish capital, most of the country’s 30 cases have been traced back to a sauna there, according to officials. The monkeypox outbreak spreading across the UK and around the globe has been linked to a suspected superspreader event at a sauna in the Spanish capital of Madrid.

Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild and is endemic in parts of West and Central Africa. Although it belongs to the same virus family as ...

They haven’t told me the level of exposure yet but it is something that everybody should be concerned about. He said close contact was the key transmission route, as lesions typical of the disease are very infectious. In his first public comments on the disease, Biden added: “It is a concern in that if it were to spread it would be consequential. “What seems to be happening now is that it has got into the population as a sexual form, as a genital form, and is being spread as are sexually transmitted infections, which has amplified its transmission around the world,” said WHO official David Heymann, an infectious disease specialist. Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild and is endemic in parts of West and Central Africa. Although it belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, its symptoms are milder. As of Saturday, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox were reported from 12 member states that are not endemic for the virus, the UN agency said, adding it will provide further guidance and recommendations in the coming days for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox.

Twenty cases confirmed in UK amid reports of child being admitted to intensive care in London hospital.

Monkeypox is not a highly infectious disease and most cases in rural Africa are believed to arise when people come into contact with infected animals. Monkeypox was first discovered in monkeys used for research in 1958, but the natural reservoir for the disease is believed to be rodents. Asked why cases were mostly in that group, she said: “That’s because of the frequent close contacts they may have.” The number of confirmed cases in the UK rose to 20 on Friday and is expected to climb significantly in the weeks ahead as more people are traced and others come forward for testing. Sexual health clinics have since reported a flurry of cases among men who have sex with men, some of whom developed symptoms weeks earlier. But it can be more dangerous in vulnerable people, such as those with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and young children.

Officials are expecting a "significant rise" in infections this week after it was confirmed the total in the UK had increased to 20 on Friday.

- US – 1 confirmed, 1 suspected - Switzerland – 1 confirmed - Sweden – 1 confirmed - Israel – 1 confirmed - France – 1 confirmed Read more: What do we know about the UK's biggest-ever outbreak of monkeypox?

Monkeypox News Highlights: WHO has said that it is expecting more cases of Monkeypox as surveillance expands to non-endemic countries.

(Reuters) The World Health Organization said it expects to identify more cases of monkeypox as it expands surveillance in countries where the disease is not typically found. The case is a man in his 30s who had returned from a trip in western Europe, according to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center – Ichilov, where he is quarantined and in mild condition. The case is a man in his 30s who had returned from a trip in western Europe, according to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center – Ichilov, where he is quarantined and in mild condition. The monkeypox outbreak is something “everybody should be concerned about,” U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday, adding that U.S. health officials are looking into possible treatments and vaccines. Switzerland has detected its first confirmed case of monkeypox, a person in the canton of Bern who contracted it through “close physical contact abroad”, the canton said in a statement on Saturday. The person consulted a doctor because they had a fever and a rash and felt poorly, the canton said, adding that the person was in isolation at home and the illness was developing in a “benign” way. US President Joe Biden said Sunday that recent cases of monkeypox that have been identified in Europe and the United States were something “to be concerned about.'' In his first public comments on the disease, Biden added: “It is a concern in that if it were to spread it would be consequential.“ The president was asked about the disease as he spoke to reporters at Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he visited troops before taking off for Japan to continue his first trip to Asia as president. The Union Health Ministry has also directed airport and port health officers to be vigilant. The patient had symptoms typical of the illness, including a slight fever and pustules on his face, ORF said, adding that tests should determine whether it is in fact Monkeypox by Sunday night. Austria's first suspected case of Monkeypox has been reported in Vienna, a 35-year-old man who was taken to hospital overnight, national broadcaster ORF said on Sunday, citing a spokesman for the city's top health official. Monkeypox spreads differently from COVID-19. There has not been a single case of Monkeypox in India as of now but the gradual rise and spread of the virus across countries has triggered fear amongst masses. These countries are Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK and US. WHO has said that it is expecting more cases of Monkeypox as surveillance expands to non-endemic countries.

The virus is also continuing to spread overseas, with Israel and Switzerland the latest countries to report cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of ...

“So, we’re not using it in the general population. because of the frequent close contacts they may have.” It can resemble chickenpox or syphilis, before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.

Cases of monkeypox, a virus typically confined to West and Central Africa, have recently turned up in several countries, including the U.K., Spain, ...

While acknowledging that the outbreak is unusual, experts stressed that any risk to the public is low, given monkeypox’s relatively low rate of contagiousness. Since then, eight more cases have been confirmed in the U.K., all of them among people who had no obvious connection to the first one. In the U.K., the first case was confirmed on May 7 in a man who had been in Nigeria and had developed a rash before returning. One strain of monkeypox is highly deadly, with a fatality rate of about 10 percent; another strain, which is the one detected in the U.K., causes death in less than 1 percent of cases. Health authorities said he was in “good condition” and “poses no risk to the public.” In 2003, a Midwest outbreak tied to travel in Ghana affected more than 70 people, though only two fell seriously ill and no one died.

Close contacts of those infected with rare disease offered vaccines and told to isolate for up to 21 days.

“I think it’s possible that some of these outbreaks will be driven by superspreading events,” said Dr Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Southampton University. “For example, the Spanish health authorities are looking at a sauna as a site of single exposure that resulted in many secondary cases. The same studies suggest that a Belgian man contracted the virus on a recent trip to Portugal. Superspreader events may have boosted the outbreak since it arrived in Europe. But the virus can cause more serious illness in those with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and young children. While some monkeypox patients have been admitted to hospital, many confirmed cases that do not need specialist care are told to isolate at home until local health protection teams are confident they are no longer infectious. Under UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance, the same high-risk contacts are advised to avoid immunosuppressed people, pregnant women and children under 12, as they are more vulnerable to serious infections.

On Friday, May 20, 2022 - The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed there are now 20 cases in the UK, an increase on the last update issued on May 18, ...

In terms of animal to human transmission, it can occur by a bite or a scratch, direct contact with body fluids or lesion material as well as "indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated bedding." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the transmission of the monkeypox virus happens when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human, or "materials contaminated with the virus." How is the Monkeypox virus transmitted?