What you need to know about US risks

Mpox is a type of virus in the poxvirus family called orthopoxvirus. smallpoxvaccines, and cowpox joined the ranks.

Therefore, the smallpox vaccine Very effective against mpox,explanation Monica Gandhi, MD, MPHProfessor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Mpox was the first Found in monkeys Smallpox emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1958, and the first recorded human cases occurred in 1970, during the period when efforts to eradicate smallpox in the region were intensifying.

Multiple MPOX outbreaks have been reported in West and Central Africa. Last 10 years Gandhi said that in areas where the virus is considered “endemic” (circulating at low levels),

“Infections in endemic areas generally occur Spread by rodentsIt is a virus that spreads from animals such as rats and squirrels to humans, and before the 2022 pandemic, it was usually found in the United States. Returning travelers “From these areas,” Gandhi told Healthline.

” Human infections that occurred in the United States in 2003 “It was transmitted from pet prairie dogs that were infected by mammals transported from Ghana,” she noted.

However, this epidemiology changed with the 2022 outbreak (clade II), which was associated with a lower mortality rate than previous outbreaks. The first cases of MPOX in men who have sex with men (MSM) were Reported It was submitted to WHO on May 13, 2022. Mpox should not be confused with a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

“The global epidemics and trends of 2022 will be 99,000 “In 116 countries,” Gandhi said, “the pandemic was ended worldwide, likely through a combination of natural immunity and mass vaccination against the virus with the Gineos vaccine.”

But the current outbreak (lineage 1b) appears to be more contagious and causes more severe illness, and lineage 1b is more deadly than lineage II, Gandhi noted.

Gandhi said the WHO was rightly concerned about this serious outbreak which is currently affecting many children with the virus spreading through everyday contact.

The emergence of clade II 30,000 results In the United States, the states of New York and California are scheduled to declare states of emergency in 2022.

Currently, no cases of lineage 1b have been reported in the United States, and the CDC maintains that it poses a risk to the United States. Remains lowSince the 2022 outbreak, a small number of clade II cases have been reported.

“The new MPOX epidemic is limited to a few countries around the world.” Will Kimbrough, MD“He is the attending physician at One Medical,” he told Healthline.

“It is unlikely that we will see another major outbreak in 2024 as there is already some immunity from past cases and at-risk individuals have already received two doses of the vaccine in 2022. People should consult their doctor for guidance on risk mitigation efforts,” Kimbrough said.

He noted that the low risk to the United States may be due to the lack of direct flights from the United States to the Democratic Republic of Congo or neighboring African countries. Dr. David DiemertProfessor of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University.

“However, this assessment may change if the infection continues to spread in Africa or if new cases are identified in Europe or other continents,” Dimato told Healthline.

Mpox is spread from person to person through direct skin contact in households or healthcare settings. Symptoms of Mpox include:

• rash (Face, genitals, mouth, hands, feet, chest, etc.)
• Respiratory symptoms (sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, etc.)
• heatchills, body aches
• Headaches and fatigue
• Swollen lymph nodes

“Infected individuals typically experience flu-like symptoms within seven to 14 days of infection,” Kimbrough said. “A rash appears within one to three days after fever, and may appear as raised, pearly, fluid-filled blisters.”

The rash can last two to four weeks before crusting and healing, Kimbrough explained. “Once all the scabs have fallen off and new skin has formed, the person with MPOX is no longer considered contagious,” he said.

Anyone who travels to affected areas is at risk for contracting MPOX, and Kimbrough recommends taking the following steps if you think you may have been exposed to MPOX:

• Isolate immediately. CDC guidelines To prevent infection.
• If you have any related symptoms (body aches, fatigue, fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes), contact your healthcare team. “Your healthcare provider can help you come up with a plan to determine whether your symptoms are due to MPOX or something else,” Kimbrough says. “They can discuss how to care for yourself when you're sick and arrange for testing.”
• Inform everyone you have had close contact with since your symptoms began.

Many cases of mpox resolve spontaneously without treatment.

There is currently no approved treatment for severe smallpox, but antiviral drugs developed to treat smallpox may be useful in treating severe cases. However, these treatments may not be effective against the new strains.

One such antiviral treatment, tecovirimat, appears to be less effective against lineage 1b. Recent Research Found it.

“If you're not sure whether antiviral treatment is right for you, talk to your health care provider,” Kimbrough said.

For patients with less severe MPOX infections, Kimbrough recommended the following at-home treatments:

• Pain relievers and antipyretics (i.e. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen)
• Sitz baths to soothe lesions in the genital area
• Calamine lotion for itchy, painful wounds
• Rest and drink fluids to prevent dehydration

The current Jynneos vaccine is effective against all strains of mpox virus.

“One of the reasons WHO has declared this emergency is to mobilize and provide vaccines to Africa to stop the epidemic there and thereby protect the rest of the world from further spread,” Gandhi said.

However, the mpox vaccine Not widely available Dimato noted that African countries are currently seeing the emergence of lineage 1b.

MPOX vaccination is recommended for people at high risk of infection, including:

• Individuals who have had contact with someone infected with MPOX.
• Men who have sex with men (including gay or bisexual people who have had sex with multiple partners or have had sex with one or more partners in the past six months or who have a newly diagnosed sexually transmitted infection (STI))
• People who have had sexual intercourse in a commercial sex setting (such as a sex club or bathhouse).
• People who have been occupationally exposed to MPOX or who have had sex in commercial sex settings (such as sex clubs or bathhouses).

“In the United States, CDC Vaccination Recommendations “The number of cases has remained the same since the 2022 outbreak, which has mainly affected gay men,” Dimato said.

The spread of MPOX across the African region has led the WHO to declare it a global public health emergency.

After the first European case of MPOX was reported in a Swedish citizen, WHO officials said the virus was unlikely to cause a new pandemic, dispelling misinformation about its spread.

Further spread of MPOX is expected in Europe, but the risk to the U.S. remains low. Anyone considered at high risk for MPOX infection should receive the Jynneos vaccine.