Monkeypox

The World Health Organization on Saturday declared the international monkeypox outbreak a global emergency, a decision that underscores concerns about ...

The WHO’s move is not likely to have a direct effect on the U.S. response. On Friday, health authorities reported the first two U.S. cases of monkeypox in children. They also noted scant evidence of substantial transmission beyond men who have sex with men and concerns that a health emergency would fuel discrimination against the LGBT community in countries where homosexuality is criminalized. Experts believe close contact during male-to-male sexual activity is a major driver of transmission in the ongoing outbreak. Monkeypox has spread across the world at an unprecedented rate in the last two months. The decision means the world is now confronting two viral diseases that have crossed the extraordinary threshold of being declared health emergencies: covid-19 and monkeypox.

The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the highest level of alert.

The declaration of another PHEIC should serve as stark reminder to world leaders of this modern reality and the weaknesses in our collective ability to prepare and respond. But governments must also support more research to understand why we are seeing new patterns of transmission, evaluate the effectiveness of our current tools and support the development of improved interventions.” The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the spread of monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of alert.

The World Health Organization says the expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an "extraordinary" situation that now qualifies as a global ...

The US has reported more than 2,800 monkeypox cases and sent more than 370,000 vaccine doses to US states reporting cases. To date, monkeypox deaths have been reported only in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo. WHO's top monkeypox expert Dr Rosamund Lewis said last week that 99 per cent of all the monkeypox cases beyond Africa were in men and that of those, 98 per cent involved men who have sex with men. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since May. Declaring a global emergency means the monkeypox outbreak is an "extraordinary event" that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an "extraordinary" situation that now qualifies as a global emergency.

The last we heard of the official advice for Monkeypox was – uh – to avoid casual group sex with gay men or LGBTQ+ festivals that involve shagging between…

‘Although I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern, for the moment this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners. Public health advice for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men on the recent outbreak of Monkeypox. This is probably why the decision to declare the emergency was debated. MVA-BN is injected like other modern vaccines rather than pricked into the skin with a bifurcated needle. Although I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern, for the moment this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners. The vaccine was approved by the European Commision in 2013. Cases of Monkeypox have since been extremely small and almost exclusively contained to gay men presenting at healthcare clinics. For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global Monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern. So I’m pleased that alongside the process of negotiating a new international accord on pandemic preparedness and response, WHO’s Member States are also considering targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations, including ways to improve the process for declaring a public health emergency of international concern. A month ago, I convened the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to assess whether the multi-country Monkeypox outbreak represented a public health emergency of international concern. On this occasion, the committee was unable to reach a consensus on whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern. Under the International Health Regulations, I am required to consider five elements in deciding whether an outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said while the World Health Organisation had declared an emergency overnight for the virus, there was “no cause for alarm here ...

That’s what they’re experiencing right now,” he said, adding that the issue was exacerbated by a high level of sickness among Queensland Health staff. We can change the impact on our hospitals. “We can change that curve.

Announced by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) marks an escalation ...

To date, monkeypox deaths have been reported only in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo. It mostly occurs in western and central Africa and the first case in a human was recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. Based on the comments of the WHO director-general, it seems the accelerating spread of monkeypox — and a poor understanding of the disease — weighed heavily on the decision to declare an emergency. The WHO makes such a declaration to bring more attention and more resources to the effort to control an outbreak. A PHEIC is a declaration by the WHO of "an extraordinary event" which spans numerous countries and requires an international response. Announced by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) marks an escalation in the response to the disease.

The department of health has just issued a statement on the monkeypox outbreak, which was declared as a global public health emergency by the World Health ...

It stopped progress on apprenticeships and skills in the construction industry and did nothing to address safety or wage theft. An MPX vaccine (ACAM2000®) and a treatment are available in the National Medical Stockpile. State and Territory Governments can access these treatments on a request by the Chief Health Officer or their delegate. Sticking with the NSW premier for a moment. Two firefighters were also treated for injuries as a result of their actions fighting the fire. the federal government has pledged to strip the Australian Building and Construction Commission of its powers in coming days. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Tony Burke, the employment minister, said the ABCC will be stripped of powers to the bare legal minimum in coming days. Four others were transported to hospital, where one of them, a 10-year-old boy, died late this morning. An MPX vaccine (ACAM2000®) and a treatment are available in the National Medical Stockpile. State and Territory Governments can access these treatments on a request by the Chief Health Officer or their delegate. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated all six occupants at the scene. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Three people died after a horrific fire in south-west Sydney overnight, including a 10-year-old boy.

Perspectives of clinicians treating patients with the disease. 24 July 2022. In just over two months a global outbreak of monkeypox in non-endemic countries ...

Even so, it is important to point out that MSM are currently at higher risk of contracting monkeypox because of the social and sexual networks in which the disease has been spreading the fastest. This will protect your health and the health of those you hold close. "Most people are looking for what they've been told to watch out for on social media -- so a rash -- but it's not what we always see. "At the beginning of May I had several patients presenting with what appeared to be ulcers. However, since then we have also seen others as a result of referrals from our sexual health clinic". Dr Francisco Silva is a General Practitioner in Lisbon, Portugal, who also works at a sexual health clinic in the city.

The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a public health emergency of global concern. From how it spreads to preventive measures, here's what ...

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The virus has spread to 75 countries but remains almost entirely confined to gay and bisexual men | Science & technology.

If countries’ tussling for covid-19 jabs in the early days of the pandemic is a guide, that will be the organisation’s toughest job. It has been used against monkeypox in America and Europe based on limited data of efficacy from monkeypox outbreaks in Africa. About half of countries that are currently reporting monkeypox cases have secured some amount of the vaccine, says the who. One of its tasks now is to ensure that the supplies rolling off production lines are sent to where they are needed the most. That probably explains, at least in part, the higher mortality among monkeypox cases in Africa (where as many as 3-6% of cases can be fatal). There have been no deaths so far among the thousands of cases diagnosed in Western countries. In the current outbreak about 70% of cases are in Europe and 15% are in America, though far more limited testing in other regions means that transmission chains there may be going undetected. On july 23rd the World Health Organisation (who) declared the spread of monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern”, the highest level of alert in its hierarchy of warnings.

The rare designation may help spur more investment in combatting the once rare disease amid a scramble for scarce vaccines. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom ...

"Vaccination in the West might help stop the outbreak there, but there will still be cases in Africa," he said. So far, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading. However, in Europe, North America and other regions, monkeypox is spreading from human to human without links to animals or travel to Africa. At the time, 3,040 monkeypox cases had been reported in 47 countries, he said. "So in short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little," he said. While a global emergency is the organization's highest alert level, it doesn't always mean a disease is highly transmissible or lethal. There have been 2,891 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the U.S. as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States reporting cases have received 370,000 vaccine doses. As a more dangerous version of the virus spreads mainly in Nigeria and the Congo, the only monkeypox deaths as of now have been reported in Africa, where it mainly spreads to people from infected animals such as rodents. On Friday, the U.S. reported its first two cases of monkeypox in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the virus has been found in parts of central and west Africa for decades, monkeypox began to spread more widely in May as authorities reported dozens of epidemics globally. "... For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern." The head of the U.N. health agency said Saturday that monkeypox is a global emergency after the World Health Organization's expert committee didn't reach a consensus on whether to urge a coordinated international response to prevent the virus's spread.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency. The committee of independent advisers who met on ...

The large majority of infections are still occurring in men who have sex with men. Hopefully, it may also stimulate funding for research and improvements in the capacity in endemic countries to manage the disease. Another argument is that the severity of the disease outside appears to be low. But it is plausible that the apparent dip in new infections is the gap between consecutive waves. So although occasional infections can spill over into populations other than men who have sex with men, further significant spread is unlikely. As of July 22, there have been 16,593 confirmed infections in 68 countries that have not historically reported monkeypox.

By declaring monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, how does the WHO plan to tackle and contain its spread?

Recently, in May 2022, several cases of the disease were reported from regions where monkeypox was not endemic, and most cases had a history of travel to Europe or North America and not Africa. Before the current outbreak, monkeypox was predominantly reported from Africa while all cases reported in patients from other countries were linked to travel to regions where the disease was commonly found or because of contact with imported animals. Studies are now being conducted to understand the effectiveness and feasibility of vaccination in preventing monkeypox. The WHO reports that vaccination against smallpox is approximately 85% effective in preventing monkeypox and thus prior immunisation against smallpox may lead to mild disease. Genomic surveillance of the pathogen provides a unique opportunity to trace the contact networks as well as evaluate the continued evolution of the virus. Firstly there is a wealth of information on the virus and methods to contain the spread, as well as management of the disease, thanks to researchers from Africa who have been able to contain outbreaks for decades. The disease presents with symptoms that are similar to those previously seen in smallpox patients, although it is less contagious and less severe.

The virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the variola virus, the cause of smallpox; the vaccinia virus, which is used in the smallpox vaccine ...

Since then, most cases in humans have occurred in rainforest areas of West and Central Africa. In 2003, the first outbreak outside of Africa occurred in the US and was linked to animals imported from Ghana to Texas, which then infected pet prairie dogs. The existence of asymptomatic infections indicates that the virus might be transmitted to close contacts in the absence of symptoms, which suggests that identifying and isolating only symptomatic patients won’t be enough to contain the outbreak, and that vaccinating high-risk individuals is needed. Analysis of the genetic sequence of the virus collected from patients in Europe indicates that the current outbreak in non-endemic countries is caused by a strain that likely diverged from the monkeypox virus that sparked a 2018-19 Nigerian outbreak, according to a June 24 study in Nature Medicine. The authors, from Portugal’s National Institute of Health in Lisbon, identified some 50 genetic changes or differences compared with the original strain, including several mutations the authors associate with increased transmissibility. The authors said that might suggest that the virus circulated in Belgium before the outbreak was detected. Asymptomatic carriership was previously thought to play a negligible role in the spread of orthopoxviruses, the authors said. The virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the variola virus, the cause of smallpox; the vaccinia virus, which is used in the smallpox vaccine; and cowpox virus. Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in mid-July that the window for controlling the US outbreak “has probably closed” and that only a small fraction of the cases in the country have been reported, with infections now occurring across the broader population. The finding, by researchers at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, was reported in a study released July 5 before it was peer-reviewed and published. It’s a newer vaccine based on non-replicating versions of the vaccinia virus that’s sold as Jynneos in the US and Imamune in Canada. Supply is limited, according to Osterholm and Gellin, who said more research is needed to determine whether intradermal, as opposed to intramuscular, administration and other dose-sparing approaches can provide adequate immune protection. In endemic areas of Africa, it was thought that was related to hunting practices, whereas in the current outbreak, most individuals are men aged 21 to 40 years who have sex with men, people with multiple sexual partners, or people who practice condom-less sex. A UK study found anonymous sex has proved to be a barrier to effective contact tracing, with only 28% of men able to provide the names of all recent sexual contacts. The global eradication of smallpox more than 40 years ago was one of the greatest achievements in public-health history, vanquishing a cause of death, blindness and disfigurement that had plagued humanity for at least 3,000 years.

There are now 16000 cases of monkeypox in 75 countries, including Australia. Here's what health authorities are facing with the spread of the disease.

Of those, 98 per cent are in men who have sex with other men. What does monkeypox look like? According to the Australian Department of Health, most people don't require treatment for monkeypox and fully recover from the virus in a few weeks. Here's what we know. The amount of time between being infected and showing symptoms can typically range between seven and 14 days, but can range from five to 21 days, according to Department of Health information. Thousands of cases of monkeypox have been reported from several countries where the virus isn't endemic, including in Australia.

Monkeypox is an infection that belongs to the family of poxviruses, which also includes the now eradicated smallpox virus. It was first discovered in humans in ...

Australia had reported 41 confirmed or probable cases of monkeypox as of July 19, with the majority of 22 cases in NSW and 15 cases in Victoria. While many of the recent cases have been seen in men who have sex with other men, it is not a sexually exclusive disease. “A feature that distinguishes infection with monkeypox from that of smallpox is the development of swollen lymph nodes,” the CDC said. It was first discovered in humans in 1970 in Central and West Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and is considered endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO says a monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries qualifies as a global health emergency. The WHO announced on Saturday that monkeypox is a global heath emergency after multiple committee meetings.

An infectious diseases expert has sounded the alarm that monkeypox cases could go undetected as the nation deals with the latest Omicron wave.

“We need to make sure that we address the Covid issue … and make sure we do continue to educate our clinicians and the general public about this, so that the chance of missing cases is as low as possible.” The WHO declaration would enable a “good public health response” to ensure the virus containment, Dr Bennett said. It is increasing in … case numbers around the world and it’s a bit of an alarming trajectory that clearly needs a response to try and slow that down,” he told ABC’s Radio National.

Monkeypox has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation. Two medical experts say Australia needs to act now.

"But smallpox vaccines haven't been available for general use for a long period of time. "The declaration is really a call to action. "In recent cases they have involved the palms and the soles of the feet." "Smallpox was a massive killer in the past, but because it's gone, we haven't really had need to keep a lot of vaccines except for prevention of things like biological warfare and things like that." "There is a vaccine against it [monkeypox], which is essentially the smallpox vaccine and there's actually quite a lot of different smallpox vaccines. "While this has been spreading in parts of Africa, from transmission from a variety of mammals to humans, this is the first major epidemic where it's been spreading in large numbers of cases from human to human," he said.

The COVID-19 outbreak forced governments around the world to revamp their pandemic response programs, invest in drugs and vaccines and establish viral surv.