The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared its highest alert level due to a new variant of the viral disease Mpox in Africa. It declared a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC).
New monkeypox variant discovered
The WHO’s concern relates, among other things, to a new virus variant that was discovered in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of 2023. It is a subline of the Mpox clade I (Roman for one), called Ib. It could be more contagious than previous variants and cause more severe disease. Detailed studies on this are still pending. Mpox of clade I have also been discovered for the first time in recent weeks in
- Uganda
- Rwanda
- Burundi as well as
- Kenya
discovered.
But where does the virus come from? And how does it manifest itself? FOCUS online answers the most important questions.
1. What is monkeypox and how is it transmitted?
Monkeypox is a so-called zoonosis. This means that the virus is transmitted from animals to humans. However, in the case of close contact, infections between humans are also possible. In this case, transmission is probably via droplet or smear infection when in contact with body fluids or scabs. Sexual transmission of the smallpox virus is also possible, writes the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)However, compared to influenza viruses, monkeypox is less infectious.
Contrary to what the name suggests, monkeypox is not only transmitted by primates, but mainly by rodents such as rats, which carry the pathogen. Experts suspect that the monkeypox pathogen circulates in rodents, while monkeys are so-called false hosts. False hosts are a suboptimal host organism for the virus. The false host can be infected, but the virus cannot develop further in it.
2. How does the disease manifest itself?
The viral disease usually causes only mild symptoms, but can also be severe. The infection often begins with a rash. Shortly afterwards, red spots form, which spread from the face over the entire body and can become red, fluid-filled bumps. The rash can look different depending on the phase of the disease and can resemble chickenpox or syphilis.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) The disease also manifests itself through the following accompanying symptoms:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle and back pain
- swollen lymph nodes
- chills
- exhaustion
3. How can I protect myself?
The probability of infection with monkeypox is generally considered to be rather low. The virus is usually only transmitted through direct contact from animals to humans. Even in the newly observed human-to-human transmissions, experts believe that transmission occurs via droplet or smear infection.
The virus is related to the classic smallpox virus (variola virus). It causes mainly a rash, but also fever and can be fatal, especially for children. The vaccine against the smallpox virus also protects against infection with the Mpox virus.
According to the RKI, unvaccinated people with infection risks should be vaccinated. According to “AIDS Help” especially men who frequently have sex with different male partners. Vaccination is still possible even after contact with an infected person.
4. Where does monkeypox spread?
The African health authority CDC has already reported more than 14,000 suspected cases and over 500 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries this year. Only a small proportion of these have been confirmed in the laboratory. However, it has already declared an emergency for Africa. This will enable more resources to be mobilized to help countries contain the disease.
Fewer than 1,000 laboratory-confirmed cases are reported to the WHO each month from around the world. The WHO assumes that due to a lack of testing capacity, not all cases are detected.
5. Are there already cases in Germany?
According to the RKI, there have been no cases of Clade I, newly discovered in 2023, in Germany so far. “The RKI does not currently assume an increased risk from Clade I viruses in Germany,” say the experts.
Instead, cases of Mpox (clade IIb) were identified for the first time in this country in May 2022. To date, a total of around 3,800 cases have been reported, the majority of them (around 3,700 cases) from early summer to autumn 2022.
“After a sharp increase from May 2022, the number of cases has fallen significantly since August 2022 as a result of intensive public health efforts by various agencies,” the RKI continues. “Since mid-October 2022, only isolated cases have been reported.”
After no cases were initially registered at all in spring 2023, case numbers have been continuously reported at a low level (in the single to low double-digit range per month) since the summer. No deaths have been registered in Germany so far.
6. Is this Corona 2.0?
As the WHO emphasizes, the declaration of the emergency has no specific impact on countries. Rather, it is intended to alert authorities around the world to prepare for possible outbreaks.
The RKI says it expects cases to continue to occur in Germany. A limited outbreak is also quite possible again, However, a sharp increase in the number of cases as in 2022 is not currently expected “The RKI currently estimates that the risk posed by this pathogen to the health of the general population in Germany is low,” it continues.
As of now, experts do not believe that the monkeypox virus will trigger a global pandemic. However, the RKI wants to continue to monitor the situation closely.
