Monkeypox British experts bid to redefine monkeypox infection by new features of current outbreaks
Health Madrid will ask to vaccinate pre-exposure risk groups against monkeypox
A study published in the scientific journal 'The New England Journal of Medicine' identifies
new clinical symptoms
in people infected with
monkeypox
.
Behind the work is an
international collaboration of 16 countries
led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London (UK) and
represents the largest series of cases to date
, as it reports on 528 confirmed infections in 43 places between April 27 and June 24, 2022.
The current spread of
monkeypox
disproportionately affects
gay and bisexual men, with 98 percent of those infected belonging to this group
.
Although sexual closeness is the most likely route of transmission in most of these cases, the researchers stress that
the virus can be spread by any close physical contact
via large respiratory droplets
and potentially through clothing and other surfaces
.
Many of the infected people examined in the study
had symptoms not recognized
in current medical definitions of
monkeypox
.
These
symptoms
include
single genital lesions and sores in the mouth or anus
.
The
clinical symptoms
are
similar to those of sexually transmitted infections
(
STIs
) and can easily lead to misdiagnosis.
In some people,
anal and oral symptoms have led to hospital admission
for pain and swallowing difficulties.
The study found monkeypox
virus
in "a large proportion of
semen samples
tested from people with monkeypox."
"However, this may be incidental, as we
do not know if it is present at high enough levels to facilitate sexual transmission
. More work is needed to better understand it," the researchers say.
Epidemiologists develop a guide to prevent and control monkeypox
The Working Group on Vaccination of the
Spanish Society of Epidemiology
(SEE) has prepared a
guide in question and answer format
to answer questions from citizens about
monkeypox
and the
vaccination strategy
to promote the prevention and control of this illness.
The SEE offers a series of
basic tips to avoid pathology
.
Monkeypox does not spread easily between people and
transmission occurs through close contact with infected skin, body fluids, or respiratory droplets
from an infected person with whom they have sexual intercourse or in other situations of continued physical contact and prolonged, and also by contact with contaminated objects such as bedding, bandages, dishes, etc.
Epidemiologists remind that
a person is considered contagious from the beginning of the enanthem
- lesions on the oral mucosa - until the lesions heal and a new layer of skin is formed.
For this reason,
infected people should remain isolated
until all skin lesions have healed, and especially avoid close contact with immunosuppressed people.
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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