- So far 3,400 cases of monkeypox have been identified in 50 countries outside of Africa.
- The youngest case is a 3-year-old boy in Spain, but the way in which he acquired the disease is unknown.
- The WHO has refused to issue a declaration of an emergency of international concern.
The monkeypox outbreak remains a problem that generates more questions than answers and now there is more uncertainty because the first cases in children. With this, the hypothesis that all people are at risk is reinforced. While it has not yet been possible to identify all the means of contagion of the disease.
The most recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that more than 3,400 cases in 50 countries outside of Africa. While so far only one direct death caused by this infection has been verified.
Despite the increase in incidence, the highest health agency has refused to issue a declaration of an emergency of international interest. He assures that it is still too early to make such a decision. While the problem is closely monitored to analyze its evolution.
For its part, the most recent news is that the first cases of monkeypox in children. In the UK there are two in 16 year olds. While the most worrying thing is that In Spain, a three-year-old patient was confirmed, although at the moment he is reported stable.
“We know of 2 cases of #MonkeyPox in children in the United Kingdom and we are in contact with Spain and France. We are referring to children under 18 years of age, they can be boys of 16 or 17. They are mild cases, but we are very concerned that the disease will jump to this population group “@DrAbdiMahamud pic.twitter.com/5enPawD9eo
— UN News (@UNNews) June 29, 2022
With this in mind, the main question now is how the disease is transmitted. At first it was managed that it would be sexual and even that it would only affect homosexuals. As time has passed, it has been seen that this is not the case.
An old disease
Monkeypox is caused by an orthopoxvirus of the smallpox family, which was the first disease eradicated by humans thanks to coordinated public health actions. It is colloquially called the monkey because in 1958 it was detected in these animals. However, it can also be found in rodents.
The first case in humans was detected in 1970, and since then outbreaks have been reported in a dozen African countries. It was not until 2003 that cases were confirmed outside this continent, causing outbreaks of the disease in different years.
It is not a homosexual disease
The Ministry of Health (SSa) has said that attributing the transmission of this virus solely to sexual contact is premature and feeds stereotypes that violate people’s human rights. Similarly, it is essential and very necessary to emphasize that the virus can affect all people regardless of their sexual expression and gender identity.
The The main route of transmission of monkeypox is directly from wild animals to humans. According to the WHO, person-to-person transmission can occur through close contact with infected secretions from the respiratory tract or skin lesions of an infected person or through objects contaminated with fluids. So far, there is no scientific evidence that the monkeypox virus is sexually transmitted.
Recommendations to stay protected
If there is discomfort, headache and muscle pain, fever, you should see a doctor. The main care is isolation, strict quarantine, and monitoring of people with whom the patient had contact so that they also isolate themselves.
Travelers to countries where cases of monkeypox have occurred should take precautions and avoid contact with other people. The measures we learned with COVID-19 are also valid for monkeypox.
In this way, the main ones are wearing face masks, hand washing and healthy distance. The latter helps reduce the risk of acquiring this disease to almost zero. In addition, it is necessary to be attentive to the indications that the authorities may provide in this regard, go to reliable sources of information, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and avoid being in contact with or acquiring wild or exotic fauna.