Monkeypox is in Spain. With seven confirmed cases and suspected dozens, this tropical disease seems to be spreading for a few weeks. The United Kingdom raised the alarm on May 7 and, since then, cases have been detected outside of Africa, at least in Portugal, Spain, the United States and Canada.
This is what is known about the virus that causes the disease, its transmission and its dangerousness.
What causes monkeypox?
The disease is caused by an orthopoxvirus of the smallpox family, the first disease eradicated by humans thanks to vaccines. It is called monkey because it was discovered in these animals in 1958, although it can also be found in rodents. The first human case was detected in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, there have been outbreaks in a dozen African countries and it has been detected much more rarely outside the continent.
How is it spread?
The main pathway is from wild animals to humans. And it is believed that between people it is not a highly contagious disease. As far as is known, close contact is necessary, since it is transmitted through body fluids (mucous membranes, wounds, sexual fluids), although there may be indirect transmission through contact with objects that have traces of these fluids, including drops of saliva. Most of the cases detected so far in Europe have occurred in unprotected sex. However, there is a study that points to the possibility of aerosol transmission. It is a laboratory experiment and for the moment it is still an unconfirmed hypothesis.
Why are there more cases among men who have had sex with men?
At the moment, the vast majority of cases detected in Spain affect men who have had sex with other men in recent weeks. It is a group considered vulnerable to other infectious diseases, such as HIV. But the fact that it has begun to be detected among them simply indicates that this is where chains of contagion have been located. The forms of transmission of the disease make experts think that the chains of infection will go beyond the sexual route (which, of course, can also affect heterosexual relationships).
What are your symptoms?
The symptoms are similar to those of smallpox, but somewhat milder. It begins with fever, muscle aches and headaches. One to three days after the fever, skin rashes form which, ifAs microbiologist David Grandioso explains on Twitter, “usually affect the face first and then spread to the rest of the body. The most affected areas are the face, hands and feet. The number of lesions varies from a few to several thousand, and they affect the mucous membranes of the mouth (70% of cases), the genitals (30%), the palpebral conjunctiva (20%) and the cornea (eyeball)” .
Where has it been detected?
Since the first human infection, there have been outbreaks in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. Outside of that, the United States has detected cases sporadically, the last one before this outbreak, in 2021. Since the United Kingdom alerted at the beginning of the month, this country has reported seven confirmed cases, the same as Spain (which investigates almost fifty) ; Portugal has located at least five cases. And Canada and the United States are investigating more than a dozen.
What is its lethality?
In most cases, the disease is not serious and evolves favorably on its own. In Africa, it has presented fatality rates of between 1% and 22%, with greater virulence among children, but it is difficult to export these figures given the differences in health systems and early care capacity. According to a article by Professor of Microbiology Raúl Rivas González in The Conversation, infected individuals in Europe have the West African variant of the virus, “which is mild compared to Central Africa.” None of the cases detected in this outbreak have ended in death.
Is there treatment?
There are no specific treatments for this disease. Rivas González points out that antivirals such as cidofovir and ST-246, as well as specific immunoglobulins, can be used to control outbreaks.
Is there a vaccine?
There is also no specific vaccine, but the smallpox vaccine —which was no longer administered in Spain in the 1980s, when this disease ceased to be a threat— seems to provide protection of over 80%.
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