The virus, which is less deadly than smallpox, usually lasts for two to four weeks, and symptoms can appear anywhere from five to 21 days after infection. Although health professionals around the world stress that the risk to the general population is low, it is important to know how monkeypox is spread and what you can do to protect yourself from infection.
How does monkeypox spread?
Typically, monkeypox is known to be transmitted to people who have had contact with infected animals. This can be due to a bite, scratch or eating uncooked animal meat.
Monkey pox can also be spread from person to person. Although this was initially thought to be rare, the recent and unusually rapid increase in infections outside west and central Africa has raised concerns.
It is usually transmitted between people in three ways: inhalation of respiratory droplets; direct contact with an infected person. and, less commonly, through indirect contact – such as through clothing or linens that have come into contact with wound fluid.
Respiratory transmission involves large droplets that do not remain airborne or travel far. As a result, person-to-person spread usually requires close personal contact, such as skin-to-skin contact or kissing.
The virus is not generally considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and is not known to be transmitted through semen during sexual intercourse.
However, the WHO says monkeypox is currently spread primarily through prolonged skin-to-skin contact that occurs during sex.
This means that while condoms may protect against most STDs, they are probably not enough to prevent transmission of monkeypox.
“Sexual transmission through close contact is the main mode of spread, but cases are detected through episodes of transmission in the home and sometimes without any clear history of exposure,” Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for the WHO, said on Tuesday (26 July). Europe. ).
So far, the majority of cases have been transmitted through sex with a particular concentration among men who have sex with men. However, anyone can be at risk of contracting the virus.
WHO’s “provisional recommendations”.
Having declared the monkeypox outbreak an international public health emergency, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued interim recommendations to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. These included “promoting the reduction of the number of sexual partners where appropriate” and special measures at “events with premises for sexual contact”. It also called for them to engage with organizers of events that could be “conducive to encounters of an intimate sexual nature,” to encourage personal safety and protection, and for organizers to potentially postpone events where protective measures cannot be taken. The WHO also called on the world to “act together in solidarity” on the distribution of treatments, tests and vaccines.
How can you protect yourself from monkey pox?
One of the best ways to protect against monkeypox is to get vaccinated. Unlike the vaccine for COVID-19, there is currently only one company producing an approved monkeypox vaccine, so supplies are somewhat limited. Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic produces the Imvanex vaccine and on Monday (July 25th) the European Commission gave permission for it to be marketed as protection against the virus. This followed last week’s recommendation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Imvanex was previously only approved in the EU to treat smallpox, but the company had already supplied the vaccine to several EU countries during the current monkeypox outbreak for what is known as “off-label” use. The approval applies to all European Union member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, Bavarian Nordic said in a statement. In addition to vaccination, there are a number of other precautions people can take to reduce the risk of contracting monkeypox. “Consider limiting your sexual partners and interactions at this time. This may be a harsh message, but caution can protect you and your wider community,” Kluge said this week. According to the UK National Health Service and the US Centers for Disease Control, the best precautions are:
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Talk to sexual partners about their sexual health and any symptoms they may have. Be aware of the symptoms of monkeypox if you are sexually active, especially if you have new sexual partners. Avoid close contact with people who are unwell and may have smallpox. Do not share bedding or towels with people who are unwell and may have chicken pox. Take a break from sex and intimate contact if you have symptoms of monkeypox until you have been seen by a doctor and told you are no longer at risk of spreading it. Use personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients with confirmed or infected monkeypox virus. Do not approach wild or stray animals, including dead animals, as well as animals that do not look well. Do not eat or touch meat from wild animals.
What should you do if you get smallpox?
If you suspect you have monkeypox, the advice is to get tested at a health care facility or sexual health clinic, where a PCR test can be performed. The initial symptoms of monkeypox may consist of headaches, muscle aches, swelling, back pain, and fever. Within one to five days of infection, lesions and rashes usually appear all over the body – on the hands, face, feet, eyes, mouth and genitals. These eventually turn into raised bumps that form blisters, some also fill with white fluid before they break and peel. This fluid may be infectious. If you have these symptoms or suspect you may have contracted the virus, you should isolate yourself from physical contact with others and seek medical advice immediately. If you have contracted the virus, you will be asked to self-isolate until you recover. People who contract monkeypox usually recover within two to four weeks. Symptoms can be confused with other diseases – such as herpes, syphilis or chickenpox – so it’s important to confirm with a doctor as soon as possible.
