2022 Monkeypox Outbreak

An ongoing outbreak of monkeypox, a viral disease, was confirmed in May 2022, beginning with a cluster of cases found in the United Kingdom.  The first confirmed case was traced to an individual with travel links to Nigeria (where the disease is endemic) and was detected on 6 May 2022.  The outbreak marked the first time monkeypox has spread widely outside Central and West Africa.  From 18 May onwards, cases were reported from an increasing number of countries and regions, predominantly in Europe but also in North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.  As of 23 July, there have been a total of 17,186 confirmed cases.  On 23 July, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), raising the status of the outbreak to a global health emergency.

Monkeypox is a viral infection that manifests a week or two after exposure with fever and other non-specific symptoms, and then produces a rash with blisters that can last for a couple of weeks before usually clearing up.  In infections before the current outbreak, 1–3 percent of people with known infections have died (without treatment). Cases in children are more likely to be severe, and health authorities emphasized that anyone can catch the disease, particularly if they have close contact with a symptomatic person.  As of 23 July 2022, 98% of cases outside endemic regions in Africa have occurred in the community of men who have sex with men, especially those who have multiple sex partners.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has emphasized the importance of reducing stigma in communicating about the demographic aspects of monkeypox.

Background

Monkeypox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some animals.  Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over.  The time from exposure to onset of symptoms ranges from five to twenty-one days.  The duration of symptoms is typically two to four weeks.  There may be mild symptoms, and it may occur without any symptoms being known.  The classic presentation of fever and muscle pains, followed by swollen glands, with lesions all at the same stage, has not been found to be common to all outbreaks.  Cases may be severe, especially in children, pregnant women or people with suppressed immune systems.

The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus, a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, is also in this genus.  Of the two types in humans, the West African type causes a less severe disease than the Central African (Congo basin) type.  It may spread from infected animals by handling infected meat or via bites or scratches.  Human-to-human transmission can occur through exposure to infected body fluids or contaminated objects, by small droplets, and possibly through the airborne route.  People can spread the virus from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and fallen off; with some evidence of spread for more than a week after lesions have crusted.  Diagnosis can be confirmed by testing a lesion for the virus's DNA.

There is no known cure.  A study in 1988 found that the smallpox vaccine was around 85% protective in preventing infection in close contacts and in lessening the severity of the disease.  A newer smallpox and monkeypox vaccine based on modified vaccinia Ankara has been approved, but with limited availability.  Other measures include regular hand washing and avoiding sick people and other animals.  Antiviral drugs, cidofovir and tecovirimat, vaccinia immune globulin and the smallpox vaccine may be used during outbreaks.  The illness is usually mild and most of those infected will recover within a few weeks without treatment.  Estimates of the risk of death vary from 1% to 10%, although very few deaths as a consequence of monkeypox have been recorded since 2017.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_monkeypox_outbreak