ANSP assures that in the Republic of Moldova there have been no confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox

Monkeypox is a virus that usually causes fever and skin rashes, similar to chickenpox. Most cases of smallpox are mild and the disease is not very contagious, say infectious disease specialists.

Gheorghe PLACINTA, DOCTOR IN MEDICINE, HEAD OF THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES DEPARTMENT: “As long as the rash lasts, the patient remains infectious. And the mode of transmission is through a closer and longer contact. The disease is transmitted through skin lesions, through nasal fluids, through saliva drops, in a more intimate contact. “

Even though it is called monkeypox, it is not these mammals that spread the disease, but several rodent species found in West and Central Africa. According to the Financial Times, monkeypox outbreaks, which have occurred in more than 20 European countries, could be caused by a decrease in human immunity to the virus.

Gheorghe PLACINTA, DOCTOR IN MEDICINE, HEAD OF THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES DEPARTMENT: “Some people have been vaccinated because they have been vaccinated against smallpox. Human smallpox was eradicated from the globe in 1980, and vaccinations have not been performed since. And those over the age of 45-50 are also protected from monkeypox. ”

Thus, people over the age of 50 have protection against the virus, while young people are more vulnerable. According to some virologists, quoted by the Financial Times, it is unlikely that this virus will be transmitted quickly because it is of the DNA type, and not RNA, such as coronavirus, which is easily transmitted by air.

Meanwhile, Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization’s director of emergencies, says another cause of endemic disease outbreaks, such as monkeypox, is climate change. With changing climate and weather conditions, animals are changing their behavior in search of food, and so the diseases that are found in animals are spreading more and more often among humans, explains the WHO expert.

Gheorghe PLACINTA, DOCTOR IN MEDICINE, HEAD OF THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES DEPARTMENT: “Now all the circumstances of the appearance of new etiological agents have formed, as well as the reappearance of other viruses, other bacteria, diseases, which can occur due to global warming, and due to migration, natural disasters, instability in different regions. changing ecosystems. ”

Smallpox is a self-limiting disease, meaning that in most cases it does not require specific treatment.

To avoid infection, specialists recommend observing already known protective measures: hand washing and isolating suspicious persons.

WHO says vaccination is the best protection against the virus.

Outbreaks have been reported in the United States, Canada, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Sweden, Australia, Israel and Sweden. Deaths are rare and most often in African countries, where the population does not have access to the necessary medical care.

No suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in the Republic of Moldova.

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