Monkeypox

Monkey Pox, Public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)

https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/monkeypox

https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/about/index.html

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/monkeypox-outbreak-epidemiological-overview/mpox-monkeypox-outbreak-epidemiological-overview-8-august-2024

WHO, Wednesday, 14 August

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Monkeypox virus, double stranded DNA virus

Smallpox family of orthopoxviruses

Not related to chickenpox

First seen in monkeys, 1958

First human case 1970

Clade I

Causes more severe illness and deaths

Endemic to Central Africa

Clade II

Caused the global outbreak that began in 2022

Infections are less severe

99.9% of people survive

Endemic to West Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Clade 1b

Emerged September 2023, sex worker

This year, 15,000 infections, 548 deaths

Spread to Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
Sweden

One clade 1 case, returning traveller

Transmission

Person-to-person through close contact

Face-to-face (droplets or short-range aerosols)

There are no confirmed instances of airborne transmission

Limited household transmission has been described in the UK

Assessment (confidence):

Transmitting primarily through close or sexual contact (moderate)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/monkeypox-outbreak-technical-briefings/investigation-into-monkeypox-outbreak-in-england-technical-briefing-8

Skin-to-skin (and sex)

Mouth to mucous membranes

Mouth-to-mouth

Mouth-to-skin

Global outbreak that began in 2022

Mostly spread through sexual contact

Infectious period

Until lesions have crusted over, the scabs have fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed underneath.

Until lesions in the mouth, throat, eyes, vagina and anus have healed,

usually takes from 2 to 4 weeks.

Virus to persist for some time on textiles and fomites

Viral entry more likely through cuts or abrasions or touch eyes, nose, mouth or other mucous membranes

During pregnancy to the baby

From animals to humans

Classified as a zoonotic disease

Physical contact with an infected animal, monkeys, tree squirrel

Bites or scratches

Risk of Severe Disease

Immunocompromise

Children younger than 1

History of eczema

Pregnant women

Vaccines

Smallpox/monkeypox vaccine (JYNNEOS™) is made using weakened live vaccinia virus and cannot cause smallpox, monkeypox, or any other infectious disease.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/smallpox-monkeypox.html