The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by monkey poxan announcement that responds to two reasons: the risk of international dissemination of the disease and the need to a coordinated international response. To date, some 16,000 cases (five of them fatal) have been reported in 75 countries.
In parallel, the Spanish Society of Epidemiology has drawn up a guide at a time when monkeypox has already surpassed the barrier of 3,000 official cases in our country. Specifically, Spain is the country with the highest number of cases of the disease with a total of 3,125, according to data from Our World in Data.
Monkeypox does not spread easily between humans: contagion occurs through close contact with infected skin, body fluids, or respiratory droplets from an infected person with whom you have sexual intercourse.
This is one of the answers that can be found in the guide that epidemiologists have made to explain what is monkeypox, when were the first cases reported or what is the most appropriate vaccination schedule depending on the level of exposure.
The origin of the disease
The document begins by explaining what exactly monkeypox is and how is it different from smallpox virus already eradicated in the 1980s.
It is a virus other than smallpox and is being transmitted outside its usual endemic area (Central and West Africa), so it is necessary to exercise a strict epidemiological control over it.
The SEE offers a series of basic tips to avoid the disease. In addition to sexual contact, also can be contracted in other situations of continued and prolonged physical contactand also by contact with contaminated objects such as bedding, bandages, dishes…
A person is considered contagious from the onset of the enanthema—oral mucosal lesions— until the lesions heal and a new layer of skin forms.
The period of isolation
For this reason, infected people must remain isolated until all skin lesions have healed, and especially avoid close contact with immunocompromised persons.
The incubation period can range from 5 to 21 days, and the clinical picture usually begins with a combination of symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, characteristic skin lesions and swollen glands.
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Regarding its severity, epidemiologists point out that the cases of the current outbreak are being milder than those described in West Africa, and that they are barely generating hospital admissions. However, remember, lesions on the skin and mucous membranes are very annoying.
vaccination strategy
The smallpox vaccine can protect people against monkeypox because of the similarity of the two viruses. Also, antibodies produced against smallpox virus also protect against monkeypox. In Spain, smallpox was vaccinated until 1979 and was administered at the age of 20 months.
In 2013, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorized the Imvanex vaccine for the prevention of smallpox in adults. Since this Friday, the EMA has “formally” recommended the inoculation of this vaccine to prevent cases of monkeypox in the current outbreak.
Who should be vaccinated
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other international agencies recommend pre-exposure vaccination of health personnel with a high risk of exposure, to laboratory personnel working with orthopoxviruses; and to laboratory personnel performing diagnostic tests for monkeypox.
Members of the response team should also be vaccinated. outbreaks that may be designated by national public health authorities and close contacts of confirmed cases.
Pre-exposure vaccination is recommended for people under 45 years of age who engage in high-risk sexual practices and for health personnel who care for people with high-risk practices and laboratory personnel handling potentially contaminated samples.
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