Following the announcement of confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United Kingdom, confirmed or suspected cases have also been detected in several European countries, as well as in the United States and Canada. According to foreign media analysis, this indicates that a wider epidemic may be occurring in the world.
On May 18, local time, the United States also confirmed the first case of monkeypox of the year.
On May 19, local time, the Hospital of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Rome, Italy, reported the discovery of the country's first case of monkeypox. The confirmed case is a young male patient returning from the Spanish Canary Islands and is currently in isolation in the hospital. In addition, the Institute of Infectious Diseases is confirming two other suspected cases.
On May 19, local time, according to Swedish television, the Swedish Health Agency confirmed that a confirmed case of monkeypox was found in the Stockholm area of the capital. The Swedish Health Service said it was currently investigating whether there were more cases of monkeypox in Sweden and asked the government to list the disease as a generally dangerous disease, saying the government had to make an "urgent" decision on the issue.
The picture shows the symptoms on the surface of the skin of monkeypox patients (pictured: UK Health Security Agency) Image source: Overseas Network
Canada has reported 13 suspected cases of monkeypox, the first in the United States
Health officials in Quebec, Canada, are investigating more than a dozen suspected cases of monkeypox in Canada after U.S. and European health officials confirmed the increasing number of cases of this rare infectious disease, suggesting that a wider outbreak may be taking place globally.
Public health officials in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, said they were investigating at least 13 cases flagged by doctors in the city after three clinics specializing in sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections made diagnoses. Laboratory confirmation of these cases is ongoing and is expected to be announced in the coming days.
After European health officials confirmed the rare infectious disease case this week, the United States confirmed its first case of monkeypox, which recently traveled to Canada, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed on the 18th that an adult man was infected with monkeypox virus, who had traveled to Canada quebec and returned to the state. This suggests that a wider outbreak may be occurring globally.
With confirmed cases in the UK and Portugal, the monkeypox outbreak circulating in Europe, the UK reported its first case of monkeypox on May 7, a total of nine cases have been detected since then, while Portuguese health officials confirmed 5 cases on Wednesday and Spain is investigating more than 20 possible cases of infection.
Confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox have been found in many countries, or multiple chains of transmission exist
According to the Russian TV today website reported on the 18th, a rare disease called monkeypox is spreading in Europe. Following the announcement of confirmed cases in the UK, confirmed or suspected cases have also been detected in several countries in Europe, and there may be multiple chains of transmission.
On the evening of May 18, local time, Spanish Health Minister Dalias reported that after the Spanish National Center for Microbiology tested samples taken from suspected monkeypox infection cases, 7 positive cases had been identified. A health official in Madrid said the patients may need to be hospitalized.
The Portuguese health department confirmed 5 cases of monkeypox on the 18th, and is still investigating 15 suspected cases, these cases are all male, and the skin is damaged.
The British health department also announced on the same day that there were 2 new confirmed cases of monkeypox. These two patients, unlike the first patient diagnosed a few days ago, have not been to Africa. The first confirmed case of monkeypox detected on 7 May had flown back to the UK from Nigeria. This means that there may currently be multiple monkeypox transmission chains in the UK.
CDC warns of monkeypox outbreaks in the UK: different from what we've seen in the past
McQueston, a veterinarian and epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on the 18th that there seems to be an undiscovered monkeypox transmission chain in the UK. "We do worry that this is very different from the monkeypox we usually see," she said. We're a little worried that it will spread beyond the UK. ”
Health officials stressed that the risk of monkeypox to the general population remains low, and officials are tracing those who may have had contact with people infected with monkeypox.
Most monkeypox cases tend to occur in West and Central Africa. The disease is similar to smallpox, but the symptoms are mild. There are currently no drugs or vaccines for monkeypox, but the smallpox vaccine has been used in previous monkeypox outbreaks.
Currently, there is no evidence that monkeypox is widely spreading among the UK population. However, two cluster infections have been detected and there is no link between the two clusters, suggesting that there may be more than one chain of transmission. McQueston said, "There are two clusters that have no connection with people who travel or who are known to be in close contact. This indicates that there is an unknown chain of transmission that is taking place. ”
Monkeypox virus was first discovered in 1958. The first case of monkeypox virus infection in humans was detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970 and has since spread to many parts of Africa.
Monkeypox viruses can infect animals and may be transmitted to humans when animals bite or scratch humans. In addition, monkeypox can also be transmitted from air to person, but it will only be transmitted after two people have been in close contact for a long time.
Symptoms in monkeypox virus infected people are similar to those in smallpox patients. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, lymphadenopathy, chills, and exhaustion.
In 2003, 47 cases were reported in the United States, the first human infection with monkeypox outside Africa. Since then, however, only 2 cases have been reported in the United States, all of which are related to travel history in Africa.
On May 7 this year, the uk reported its first case of monkeypox, and according to Sky News, the total number of confirmed cases in the UK has reached 9 since the first case was reported.
Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser and epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "This outbreak is rare and unusual. ”
Monkeypox first appeared in 1950, and the first human case was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.
Experts have previously said that monkeypox viruses are not easily transmitted from person to person, and monkeypox patients in the past were often associated with travel to West Africa.
In 2021, confirmed cases were reported in the US states of Texas and Maryland, all of which had a history of travel to Nigeria.
However, the first confirmed case in the United States this year has never been to West Africa before. Similarly, of the 2 newest confirmed cases in the UK on 14 May, the patient had not previously been to Africa.
Jennifer McQuiston, a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: "We do have some concerns, which are very different from the monkeypox virus we usually understand. ”
Early symptoms of monkeypox include fever, body pain, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that spreads from the face to various parts of the body. But monkeypox is usually a mild self-limiting condition, and most people recover within a few weeks.
Studies have also shown that the fatality rate of monkeypox is around 10%, but the fatality rate is currently less than 1% in cases reported in the UK.
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Source: Future Network