The United States and other countries are reporting new cases of monkeypox

The CDC on Wednesday confirmed that residents of Massachusetts who traveled by private transport from Canada were infected with the monkeypox virus, the first case of monkeypox in the United States this year.

Cases of this disease have emerged in other countries as well, raising concerns among experts. The spread of outbreaks in Europe, first reported in the United Kingdom, has grown to include several other countries.

U.S. reported Two cases of monkeypox A traveler who returned from Nigeria last year has been experiencing the outbreak for the first time in 40 years since 2017.

Andrea M. McCollum, PhD, MS, Epidemiologists at the CDC’s Poxvirus and Rabies Branch say the CDC is coordinating with state and local health authorities to identify people who may have been contacted while men in Massachusetts were infected. rice field.

“The overall risk to the general public appears to be low, but there may be some other cases of monkeypox occurring in the United States that have not yet been detected or diagnosed,” McCollom said. Told to. “The CDC is working with state medical partners to provide guidance to enhance monkeypox monitoring and testing.”

Monkeypox virus is closely associated with the virus that causes smallpox, but the symptoms are mild. According to the CDC, the virus usually infects humans through contact with infected animals, such as bites, scratches, or preparing to consume bush meat, but probably from person to person via respiratory droplets. It can also be infected.

Outbreaks in Nigeria are zoonotic diseases Secondary person-to-person communication..

There are two major strains of the virus, found in Central and West Africa. The US infectious disease reported last year was consistent with a strain called the West African strain that occurred in Nigeria. It is less toxic and less lethal than the other strains, the Congo Basin strain.

[Editor’s note: A CDC disease detective answered questions about monkeypox for Healio last year. You can read his answers here.]

Prior to these new cases, monkeypox outbreaks were rare outside of Africa, but occurred in the United States in 2003. Dozens of people were involved It was associated with exposure to imported prairie dogs.

The CDC said it was unclear how patients in these new clusters were exposed to the virus, but said the cases included people identified as men (MSMs) having sex with men.

“The CDC calls on US healthcare providers to pay attention to patients with rash diseases that are consistent with monkeypox, regardless of whether they are traveling or have specific risk factors for monkeypox,” the agency said. Said.

WHO said on May 13 that it had been notified of two confirmed cases and one possible case from the same household in the United Kingdom. By May 15, MSM reported four more cases. Since then, cases have been reported in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Sweden.

The CDC, which is tracking the cluster, said monkeypox is not common in these countries.

“Recent clusters in other countries are a new phenomenon we are working on to better understand,” McCallum said.

There are licensed vaccines that protect against monkeypox and smallpox ⎼ ⎼ Bavarian Nordic Jynneos, Approved by the FDA In 2019, the company will target adults over the age of 18 in the United States in 202. Order millions of doses Of vaccines for national stockpiles.

On Thursday, Bavarian Nordic announced that the US Department of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development will be exercising options for lyophilized versions of the vaccine and that their doses will be available in 2023 and 2024.

Another company, SIGA Technologies, announced that the FDA has approved an IV formulation of TPOXX, a treatment for smallpox. Approved in the USCanada and Europe for the treatment of smallpox in 2018.

SIGA said the European approval also included the use of TPOXX to treat monkeypox. According to the company, TPOXX’s IV prescription was quoted in a budget request from the president. Joe Biden Used to treat US patients with monkeypox..

reference:

Bavarian Scandinavian. After a case of monkeypox is confirmed, we will secure a vaccine order from a European country. https://www.bavarian-nordic.com/investor/news/news.aspx?news=6574.. Published May 19, 2022. Accessed May 19, 2022.

Bayern Nordic will produce the first lyophilized dose of smallpox vaccine when exercising a contract option by the US government. https://www.bavarian-nordic.com/investor/news/news.aspx?news=6569.. Published May 18, 2022. Accessed May 18, 2022.

CDC. Monkeypox infection. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html.. Accessed on May 19, 2022.

Jamma. SIGA has been approved by the FDA for an intravenous (IV) formulation of TPOXX (tecovirimat). https://investor.siga.com/news-releases/news-release-details/siga-receives-approval-fda-intravenous-iv-formulation-tpoxxr.. Accessed on May 19, 2022.

WHO. Monkeypox – United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON383.. Published May 18, 2022. Accessed May 19, 2022.

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