Monkeypox is overwhelmingly driven by sex between men, major studies find

For a new study, a consortium of researchers pooled data on 528 cases of monkeypox diagnosed between April 27 and June 24 at 43 sites in 16 countries. These cases included 84 (16%) in the Americas and 444 (84%) in Europe, Israel and Australia.

All cases, including one transgender male, were identified as male, 98% of whom were gay or bisexual. This unambiguous demographic finding is consistent with data on outbreaks from around the world, including: Recent reports Of the 699 monkeypox cases for which information was available, 97% were gay, bisexual, or other men having sex with men, according to the UK Health and Security Agency. In New York City, the epicenter of the United States, only one woman was diagnosed with the virus out of 639 cases. Confirmed until July 19th..

Therefore, the European Disease Control Center There is a feature The risk of monkeypox is “very low” for the general public, especially those who are not engaged in sex with multiple partners.and Recent meetingsDr. Agam Rao, Chief Healthcare Officer of the CDC’s High-Results Pathogens and Pathology Department, used the same term to characterize the risk to the general public.

In a new global study, the median age of men was 38 years, ranging from 18 to 68 years. Three-quarters are Caucasian and 41% are infected with HIV.

Some public health authorities, including CDC personnel, have warned the public about the risk of domestic transmission of monkeypox, but three out of 528 cases, or 0.6%, are infected by such means. It was thought that it was done. And only four, or 0.8%, were thought to have been infected by close, non-sexual contact.

The authors of the study reported that 95% of cases were likely infected through close sexual contact. In addition, their treatise provides strong new evidence that anal intercourse itself is a major source of infection, although not necessarily ejaculation.

“The high likelihood of sexually transmitted infections was supported by findings of primary genital, anal, and oral mucosal lesions that may represent the site of inoculation,” the study authors write.

“The finding that 95% of cases may have been transmitted during sex provides a sense of security that this outbreak is primarily caused by very close contact and so far has sex with men. It may explain why it is so confined to the dense social network of men who do it, said Dr. Jay K. Balma, an infectious disease expert at Weil Cornell Medicine.

Unlike what is commonly seen in monkeypox cases in 11 African countries where the virus has been endemic since it was first discovered in humans in 1970, people who contracted monkeypox during this outbreak are often Indicates early development of lesions in the anorectal or genital area.

Almost three-quarters of men in the new study had lesions in those areas.

“Flugge droplets and sprays do not appear to have been an important mechanism of infection, if so, perhaps because we should have seen more cases among cisgender women. And now I We haven’t done so, “said Dr. Serene Gender, Senior Fellow and Editor of Public Health at Kaiser Health News. “Also, there was no evidence that monkeypox was transmitted by hugs, etc., so it seems that it requires fairly close and intimate contact to send.”

who Recently reported The outbreak of monkeypox “continues to primarily affect men who have sex with men who have reported recent sex with a new partner or multiple partners.” The CDC recommends the Jynneos vaccine for men who have reported four or more male sexual partners within the last 14 days.

The new treatise supports these features of the outbreak. Of the nearly three-quarters of men who provided sexual history, the median number of sexual partners reported in the last three months was five, with one-quarter of men reporting more than 15. Includes discoveries that you have reported.

Last month, one in five men reported taking drugs during sex, and one-third had sex at an on-site sex venue. Of those who took the test, 29% had a sexually transmitted disease (STI).

Public health experts warn that the symptoms of monkeypox are often confused with sexually transmitted diseases.

The new treatise addresses the still-resolved question of whether monkeypox can be transmitted via semen. Of the 32 male semen analyzed, 29 samples contained viral DNA.Previous research A similar conclusion was reached.

Scientists note that these findings do not confirm that semen infects the virus. More research is needed, they say.

Some health officials, including the United Kingdom, advise men who have recovered from monkeypox to wear condoms during sex for eight weeks as a precautionary measure if the virus remains in semen.

Condom use among gay and bisexual men has steadily declined since HIV became a treatable infection in 1996. Hastened its decline..and CDC survey published in 2017Almost three-quarters of gay and bisexual respondents have reported condom-free sex in the last 12 months.

Based on the new treatise, Gounder states: “If you want to avoid monkeypox infection, and based on what we know about how monkeypox is transmitted, condoms are very effective in preventing most or most of the infections we are infected with. It is especially effective in preventing these most painful lesions when you look at it now. “

Monkeypox often causes the first flu-like symptoms before the rash develops, followed by the appearance of skin lesions. In a cohort of new treatises, these early symptoms most commonly included fever, malaise, myalgia, and headache. Thirteen percent of men were hospitalized most commonly for severe pain, especially anal and rectal pain.

Even with these hospitalizations in mind, the authors of the study stated that the male health outcomes of the study were “relieved” and that the majority of cases were not associated with serious health complications.

Being infected with HIV was not associated with differences in monkeypox health. Almost all HIV-positive men were successful in treating the virus, so they usually had a healthy immune system.

Dr. Chloe Orkin, an infectious disease expert and lead author of the study at Queen Mary University of London, said he was bigger among healthcare providers about the symptoms of monkeypox in the hope of improving case detection. Joined her colleague to seek recognition.

She said, pointing out many published images of the treatise on how the virus appears in different parts of the body and in the mouth and throat. You will also be able to recognize many presentations and never miss a diagnosis. ”

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