Now that for some it seems that SARS-CoV-2 has disappeared (it has not), another disease has put the health authorities in the United Kingdom on notice. It is the monkeypox. It is not a new pathology, since it has been known since 1970 and each year it causes thousands of infections in Africa. However, outside this continent it usually only causes very small outbreaks, in relation to the number of people affected. On the other hand, on this occasion there are already seven cases, most of them unrelated, and community transmission is suspected. In addition, other countries are studying suspected cases. In Spain, for example, there are eight cases that have drawn the attention of the health authorities, although it has not yet been confirmed that it is monkeypox.
The first English case, announced on 7 May, was a man who had recently traveled to Nigeria, where monkeypox is very common. Therefore, it is logical to think that he contracted the disease there. However, the following two cases were related to each other, but not to the first patient . In addition, they had not traveled to Africa. The last four patients have also not recently been to this continent and have no relation to the first three. The only common factor is that they are all homosexual or bisexual men, who have had sex with other men in recent weeks. In fact, although they do not know each other, some of them could have common contacts in that sense.
All this worries the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), although they have called for calm. It is necessary for the health authorities, as well as the patient care centers themselves, to be vigilant, but the risk does not seem high and the population must remain calm. Of course, homosexual people who detect suspicious lesions on their skin are asked to seek medical help as soon as possible.
What do we know about monkeypox?
Smallpox is the only human disease that has been totally eradicated so far. However, other relatives of that smallpox are still active today. This is, for example, the case of monkeypox. The symptoms are similar, although fortunately it is much less fatal.
People who have not been vaccinated against smallpox may be exposed to passing the disease more seriously
There are two types, the one from West Africa and the one from the Congo. The first is milder and is the one that is being detected in the United Kingdom. It presents a mortality of approximately 1%, but it especially affects younger people, especially children. This is because there is some cross-response with the immunity generated by the smallpox vaccine. Since the disease was considered eradicated in the 1980s, this vaccine began to be considered unnecessary and was withdrawn from vaccination schedules around the world. Therefore, people born after that time are not vaccinated. In addition, children have a more immature immune system and this exposes them even more to having monkeypox in a more severe form.
Regarding the incubation time, it seems that it is between 6 and 13 days. The symptoms then go through two phases. An initial one, in which there is fever, muscle and joint pain, tiredness, chills and swollen lymph nodes. This could be confused with many other diseases. However, the second phase is much more specific, since the itching and skin lesions characteristic of smallpox already begin. Luckily, in most cases all of this subsides completely within a few weeks.
CDC Public Health Images
Should we fear this outbreak?
It is not very well known what could have happened in the United Kingdom. Monkeypox is known as such because it was first detected in these primates in Africa. However, it is more commonly transmitted by small rodents.
Between humans it is more difficult for infections to occur, but not impossible. These are usually caused by contact with the lesions, blood or other fluids of the patients. Possibly that was what happened to the first patient from the United Kingdom, since he had traveled to Africa. There he could come into contact with sick rats, mice or humans . However, with the rest of the cases the track is lost.
Despite its name, the main transmitters of monkeypox are rodents
It is not a sexually transmitted disease, but it is true that during a sexual relationship, contact can occur that causes contagion. As for the transmission by respiratory particles , as explained by the Science Media Center, it could occur, but only in very close and very prolonged contacts.
The last major outbreak outside of Africa occurred in the United States in 2003, when a group of infected prairie dogs began to be traded in this country as pets. 47 people were infected.
Afterwards there have been very isolated outbreaks, of little more than a couple of cases. In fact, the United Kingdom already had one last year, but only health workers and people who had traveled to Africa were infected.
It seems that this time the situation is more complex and that there could be community transmission. The health authorities ask not to panic, but they are putting all possible measures to monitor the situation. Monkeypox in the United Kingdom joins childhood hepatitis as the medical mysteries of this 2022. Hopefully both will have an answer soon.
