The world is still reeling from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, but there’s another virus threatening to spread globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) called for an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the recent outbreak of monkeypox, a viral infection more common to west and central Africa, after more than 100 cases were reported in Europe.
Monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a viral zoonotic disease, meaning it can spread from animals to humans. It can also spread between people. Monkeypox symptoms typically include a fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and a skin rash or lesions. In most cases, the symptoms go away on their own in a few weeks, but in some individuals, they can lead to medical complications and even death.
The disease is called monkeypox because it was first identified in colonies of monkeys kept for research in 1958. It was detected in humans in 1970.
From May 13 to 21, WHO said 12 non-endemic countries have reported monkeypox infections: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK and the US.
From the Associated Press: “Israeli authorities say they have detected the country’s first case of monkeypox in a man who returned from abroad and were looking into other suspected cases. Israel’s Health Ministry said late Saturday the man was in a Tel Aviv hospital in good condition. It called on anyone returning from abroad with fever and lesions to see a doctor.”
WHO has identified the following as monkeypox endemic countries: Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana (identified in animals only), Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.
US President Joe Biden said the growing monkeypox outbreak is something everyone should be concerned about. “It is a concern in that if it were to spread it would be consequential. We’re working hard to figure out what we do and what vaccine if any might be available for it,” he said.
Could the monkeypox virus become more transmissible, like the new Covid variants, and thus become another global threat? Experts said it is normal for viruses to change. “Every time there’s an outbreak, and the more people get infected, the more chances that monkeypox has to adapt to people,” said Jay Hooper of the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. This means the more people the virus infects, the more chances it has to evolve. That’s why scientists are keeping a close eye on the outbreaks that occur, especially if the virus appears to change its route of transmission, as may be happening in the current monkeypox outbreak.
Monkeypox has not been detected in the Philippines or in the country’s borders, according to the Department of Health. “In the interest of protecting the general public from both diseases and misinformation, the Department of Health provides this advisory about the recent cases of monkeypox found in European countries, the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom,” the DOH said in an advisory. It assured the public that it is intensifying screening in Philippine gateways and ensuring that surveillance systems are actively monitoring the situation (Read, “DOH says there is no case of Monkey pox yet in PHL,” in the BusinessMirror, May 20, 2022).
Let’s be clear about the current situation: The monkeypox outbreak is not another Covid that requires lockdowns to contain the spread. WHO said the risk to the general public is low, but it is working closely with countries in responding to the monkeypox outbreak as a high priority to avoid further spread. “Raising awareness about this new situation will help to stop further transmission,” WHO said.