monkeypox
Turkish citizen who arrived at Shahjalal does not have monkeypox
The Turkish citizen, who was sent to a hospital on Tuesday afternoon after presenting suspected symptoms of monkeypox, is not carrying the virus, health authorities said.
Additional Director General of Directorate General of Health Services, Ahmedul Kabir, said he was discharged on Tuesday afternoon following tests as he was not detected with the virus.
The Turkish citizen arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a flight of Turkish Airlines on Tuesday noon. The airport health authorities detected symptoms of monkeypox in him during screening, said Dr Shahrier.
He was first taken to the Airport Health Centre and then sent to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, said Dr Shahrier.
As soon as the news spread, the Health Ministry issued a press release saying no monkeypox case has been detected yet in the country and if any case is found in future, people will be informed through press release.
READ: Suspected Monkeypox patient sent to hospital from Dhaka airport
On May 22, the government instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance at land, air and sea ports for screening travelers coming to Bangladesh from countries with confirmed monekypox cases.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice in this regard.
According to the notice, monkeypox is not a new disease. It was found among people in West and Middle African countries in the past. Recently it has been detected among people living in European and American countries with no history of travelling in the African countries.
People who contracted the virus or came close to the infected people should be listed as suspected patients of monkeypox, it said.
The suspected patients or patients having symptoms should be taken to government hospitals or Infectious Diseases Hospital and kept in isolation and it should be reported to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
No monkeypox case detected yet in Bangladesh: Health Ministry
No one has been infected with monkeypox virus in Bangladesh yet, said the Health Ministry on Tuesday.
A report on the detection of a monkeypox infected foreign national in Bangladesh which is circulating on social media, online and electronic media is not true, according to a media release of the ministry.
Also read: Suspected Monkeypox patient sent to hospital from Dhaka airport
No monkeypox case has been detected yet in the country and if any case is found in future, people will be informed through press release, it said.
Earlier in the day, a Turkish citizen, who showed suspected symptoms of monkeypox, was sent to hospital after arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, authorities said.
The man was first taken to the Airport Health Centre and then sent to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, said Dr Shahrier Sazzad, in-charge of Airport Health Centre.
The traveler arrived by a flight of Turkish Airlines at noon. The airport health authorities detected symptoms of monkeypox in him during screening, said Dr Shahrier.
On May 22, the government instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance at land, air and sea ports for screening travelers coming to Bangladesh from countries with confirmed monekypox cases.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice in this regard.
According to the notice, monkeypox is not a new disease. It was found among people in West and Middle African countries in the past. Recently it has been detected among people living in European and American countries with no history of travelling in the African countries.
Also read: Monkeypox: Govt orders screening passengers at all airports, land ports
People who contracted the virus or came close to the infected people should be listed as suspected patients of monkeypox, it said.
The suspected patients or patients having symptoms should be taken to government hospitals or Infectious Diseases Hospital and kept in isolation and it should be reported to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Suspected Monkeypox patient sent to hospital from Dhaka airport
A Turkish citizen, who showed suspected symptoms of monkeypox, was sent to hospital after arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, authorities said.
The man was first taken to the Airport Health Centre and then sent to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, said Dr Shahrier Sazzad, in-charge of Airport Health Centre.
Also read:WHO: Monkeypox won’t turn into pandemic, but many unknowns
The traveler arrived by a flight of Turkish Airlines at noon. The airport health authorities detected symptoms of Monkeypox in him during screening, said Dr Shahrier.
On May 22, the government has instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance at land, air and sea ports for screening travelers coming to Bangladesh from countries with confirmed Monekypox cases.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice in this regard.
Also read:Monkeypox: Govt orders screening passengers at all airports, land ports
According to the notice, Monkeypox is not a new disease. It was found among people in West and Middle African countries in the past. Recently it has been detected among people living in European and American countries with no history of travelling in the African countries.
People who contracted the virus or came close to the infected people should be listed as suspected patients of Monkeypox, it said.
The suspected patients or patients having symptoms should be taken to government hospitals or Infectious Diseases Hospital and kept in isolation and it should be reported to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
WHO: Monkeypox won’t turn into pandemic, but many unknowns
The World Health Organization’s top monkeypox expert said she doesn’t expect the hundreds of cases reported to date to turn into another pandemic, but acknowledged there are still many unknowns about the disease, including how exactly it’s spreading and whether the suspension of mass smallpox immunization decades ago may somehow be speeding its transmission.
In a public session on Monday, WHO’s Dr. Rosamund Lewis said it was critical to emphasize that the vast majority of cases being seen in dozens of countries globally are in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men, so that scientists can further study the issue and for populations at risk to take precautions.
“It’s very important to describe this because it appears to be an increase in a mode of transmission that may have been under-recognized in the past,” said Lewis, WHO’s technical lead on monkeypox.
Still, she warned that anyone is at potential risk of the disease, regardless of their sexual orientation. Other experts have pointed out that it may be accidental that the disease was first picked up in gay and bisexual men, saying it could quickly spill over into other groups if it is not curbed. To date, WHO said 23 countries that haven’t previously had monkeypox have reported more than 250 cases.
Lewis said it’s unknown whether monkeypox is being transmitted by sex or just the close contact between people engaging in sexual activity and described the threat to the general population as “low.”
Also Read: WHO: COVID-19 cases mostly drop, except for the Americas
“It is not yet known whether this virus is exploiting a new mode of transmission, but what is clear is that it continues to exploit its well-known mode of transmission, which is close, physical contact,” Lewis said. Monkeypox is known to spread when there is close physical contact with an infected person or their clothing or bedsheets.
She also warned that among the current cases, there is a higher proportion of people with fewer lesions that are more concentrated in the genital region and sometimes nearly impossible to see.
“You may have these lesions for two to four weeks (and) they may not be visible to others, but you may still be infectious,” she said.
Last week, a top adviser to WHO said the outbreak in Europe, U.S., Israel, Australia and beyond was likely linked to sex at two recent raves in Spain and Belgium. That marks a significant departure from the disease’s typical pattern of spread in central and western Africa, where people are mainly infected by animals like wild rodents and primates, and epidemics haven’t spilled across borders.
Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. No deaths have been reported in the current outbreak.
WHO’s Lewis also said that while previous cases of monkeypox in central and western Africa have been relatively contained, it was not clear if people could spread monkeypox without symptoms or if the disease might be airborne, like measles or COVID-19.
Monkeypox is related to smallpox, but has milder symptoms. After smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, countries suspended their mass immunization programs, a move that some experts believe may be helping monkeypox spread, since there is now little widespread immunity to related diseases; smallpox vaccines are also protective against monkeypox.
Lewis said it would be “unfortunate” if monkeypox were able to “exploit the immunity gap” left by smallpox 40 years ago, saying that there was still a window of opportunity to close down the outbreak so that monkeypox would not become entrenched in new regions.
Argentina confirms first case of monkeypox
Argentina has confirmed its first case of monkeypox in a man who arrived from Spain, the Health Ministry said Friday.
"The patient is in good condition, undergoing symptomatic treatment, and his close contacts are under clinical and epidemiological control, with no symptoms to date," the ministry said in a statement.
The test result from "the sample taken from the first high-probability case is positive, which confirms infection with poxviruses belonging to the Eurasian-African group of the Orthopox genus," the ministry said.
READ: United Arab Emirates detects first case of monkeypox
Subsequently, genomic sequencing yielded a very high percentage of homology with the West African clade, like those found in new cases around the world, it added.
The health ministry urged those with symptoms to wear a face mask, practise social distance, and consult the health system immediately.
Spanish LGBTQ groups wary of monkeypox stigma as Pride nears
With one of Europe's largest gay pride celebrations right around the corner, Spain's LGBTQ community is worried that the outbreaks of monkeypox on the continent could lead to an increase in homophobic sentiment based on misunderstandings of the disease.
Spanish health authorities said Thursday that there were now 84 confirmed cases in the country, the highest number in Europe. The tally includes one woman, the region of Madrid said in a statement on Friday without providing any further details.
Also read: United Arab Emirates detects first case of monkeypox
Health authorities have been centering their investigations on links between a Gay Pride event in the Canary Islands that drew some 80,000 people at the beginning of May, and cases linked to a Madrid sauna.
But some people, particularly gay and bisexual men, believe there is a touch of homophobic hysteria in the wider public's reaction to the rare outbreak of the disease outside of Africa, where it has long been endemic.
Most of the known cases in Europe have been among men who have sex with men, according to authorities in Britain, Spain, Germany and Portugal. A top adviser to the World Health Organization said the outbreak was likely triggered by sexual activity at two recent mass events in Europe.
The outbreak in Spain comes in the run-up to Madrid’s Gay Pride celebration, which will happen in early July. It is expected to draw large crowds, unlike the last two years' events, which were scaled down or canceled because of COVID-19 restrictions. Organizers say the city's last pre-pandemic Pride celebration, in 2019, drew roughly 1.6 million revelers, though police put the figure at around 400,000.
“Pride is a huge party, it is a moment to make our voice be heard, that brings lots of people together,” Mario Blázquez, coordinator of health programs for the LGBTQ group COGAM in Madrid, told The Associated Press.
Blázquez said he's worried that next month’s Pride celebrations could be endangered by overzealous restrictions driven in part by prejudice and in part by the fears of another public health emergency on top of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.
“We don’t know what will happen. We don’t know what the level of transmission of the virus will be or what legal measures could be taken. And then what stigma could be generated by these legal measures that sometimes are discriminatory.”
So far, Spanish authorities have not mentioned any sweeping public health measures that would impede large gatherings.
But beyond the Pride March, Blázquez said he is worried that society could make the same mistake it did at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s, when the focus on the disease among gay men obscured its spread among the wider population.
“This is a disease that any member of the population can get,” Blázquez said. “We are facing an outbreak that unfortunately once again has hit LGBTQ people, and especially gay and bisexual men. What's happening is somewhat similar to the first cases of HIV.”
Health authorities in Europe, North America, Israel and Australia have identified more than 150 cases of the disease in recent weeks. It’s a surprising outbreak of a disease that rarely appears outside Africa, where it has remained a serious health threat since the first cases in human were discovered in the 1970s.
Also read:New Monkeypox Outbreak: What We Know So Far
Experts say anyone can be infected through close contact with a sick person, their clothing or bedsheets. Most people recover within two to four weeks without needing hospitalization. However, the WHO says that in recent times 3-6% of cases were fatal.
Health officials around the world are keeping watch for more cases because, for the first time, the disease appears to be spreading among people who didn’t travel to Africa. They stress, however, that the risk to the general population is low.
As of Thursday, Italy had confirmed 10 cases of Monkeypox, some but not all in people who had traveled to Spain's Canary Islands.
“Regarding the question of sexual transmission, I believe that we cannot yet define this strictly as a sexually transmitted disease," said Dr. Andrea Antinori, Director of Viral Immunodeficiencies at Spallanzani hospital in Rome.
"So I would avoid identifying this disease as a sexually transmitted disease at the moment, and above all, identifying the population — the men who have sex with men — as carriers of this disease because I believe that this is also a problem of responsibility from the point of view of not stigmatizing this situation.
"This disease is still to be understood because we are facing a new wave that is different from how we have historically known it in the previous decades.”
Spain's health minister, Carolina Darias, said Wednesday that her government decided to opt into the European Union's collective purchase of monkeypox vaccine, which like the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed based on each participating country's population. She said government health experts are considering how to use the vaccine once it is more widely available.
Amos García, president of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology, recommended that the vaccine should only be given to people who have had direct contact with an infected person and who are vulnerable to infection, not to the general population.
“We are talking about a disease that does not have a large potential to become an epidemic,” García said, adding that most Spaniards over age 40 should be protected by smallpox vaccines that were regularly administered decades ago.
United Arab Emirates detects first case of monkeypox
Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates detected on Tuesday the country’s first case of the monkeypox virus in a young woman who traveled from West Africa.
The government said little about the patient, but stressed that authorities were investigating her contacts and “taking all necessary measures” to limit the spread of monkeypox.
The statement did not say where the case had been discovered in the federation of seven sheikhdoms, which includes the capital of Abu Dhabi and tourist hub of Dubai.
Read: No Monkeypox cases detected in Bangladesh: BSMMU VC
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, authorities in the autocratic country similarly had declined to offer a geographic breakdown for COVID-19 cases.
The diagnosis in the UAE marks the first reported case on the Arabian Peninsula. Israel recorded the first reported case in the Middle East earlier this week. The World Health Organization has identified over 100 cases globally.
Read: New Monkeypox Outbreak: What We Know So Far
Cases of the smallpox-related disease have previously been seen only among people with links to central and West Africa. But Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the U.S., Sweden and Canada all reported infections, mostly in young men who hadn’t previously traveled to Africa. France, Germany, Belgium and Australia have also identified cases.
The virus originates in primates and other wild animals and causes fever, body aches, chills and fatigue in most patients. People with severe cases can develop a rash and lesions on the face, hands and other parts of the body.
No Monkeypox cases detected in Bangladesh: BSMMU VC
No Monkeypox cases have been detected in Bangladesh so far, said Prof Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
“We have taken all necessary preparations to provide treatment for Monkeypox virus although we have not yet found any patient infected with the virus in the country,” he said.
Also read: Monkeypox: Govt orders screening passengers at all airports, land ports
Ther BSMMU VC revealed the information while talking at a press briefing held at Shaheed Dr Milton Hall on Tuesday.
He also urged people to not to be panicked hearing any rumour.
Prof. Sharfuddin said Monkeypox cases have been reported recently in 14 countries including the UK, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Australia and Canada.
Already, the health authorities have alerted all land ports and airports to prevent spread of the virus, he said.
Monkeypox is a DNA virus. It is believed that it can be transmitted if people came in contact with infected animals or take inadequately cooked meat, said the BSMMU VC.
The symptoms of the virus are Lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), cold, fever, perspiration, headache, backache, loss of appetite, breathing problem and cough, he said.
Also read: New Monkeypox Outbreak: What We Know So Far
BSMMU VC also advised people to refrain from getting close to infected or suspected animals. But if anyone found infected he/she should stay in isolation until their lesions have crusted.
Referring to the Facebook post over detection of first Monkeypox case at BSMMU that went viral, Prof. Sharfuddin said assistance was sought from the Cyber Crime Investigation Division of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit of police verbally to identify those involved in spreading the rumour.
New Monkeypox Outbreak: What We Know So Far
The world is yet to move on from the coronavirus pandemic and another virus that has raised concerns in the past week, which may turn into another pandemic. The name is Monkeypox. As of May 21, 2022, it has spread to 92 people in 12 countries, including the United Kingdom and the USA. The first monkeypox case was detected in London, the United Kingdom on May 7. Then, patients are also found in Spain, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden.
So what is going to happen? Is the virus originating in Central and West Africa a cause for concern right now? Or is everyone overwhelmed about just going through an epidemic?
We have tried to find answers to these questions in different authentic news and journals. Here is what we need to know about the Monkeypox outbreak.
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What is Monkeypox?
There is a lot to know about MonkeyPox now. However, the natural carrier of the virus is wildlife, and rats are more likely than monkeys. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Monkeypox is like regular smallpox but is relatively less severe and does not spread the infection much.
It is caused by the monkeypox virus belonging to the orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. Two clades of monkeypox virus are identified, the West African and Congo Basin (Central African) clades. Monkeypox was named after the first discovery of the virus in Denmark in 1958.
Although the virus was first detected in monkeys in 1958, rats are now suspected to be the main contributors to the spread.
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Symptoms of Monkeypox
The primary symptoms of this disease are fever, headache, pain in the joints and muscles, and fatigue in the body.
After the onset of fever, smallpox appears in the body. Usually, these poxes appear in the face at the beginning. Later it spreads on hands, feet, and all over the body. The body becomes itchy for this pox. Later wounds appeared from the pox. Like a regular pox, the patient recovers completely, but these scars remain on the body. The patient recovers within 14 to 21 days of the start of the disease.
How Does Monkeypox Virus Spread?
The Monkeypox virus is spread via close contact with an infected person. It also spreads from an infected person's clothes and bed. It enters the human body through inhalation, nose, eyes, mouth, and skin lesions.
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According to the experts say the Monkeypox can be transmitted from monkeys, squirrels, rats, or even through the bed bugs used by monkeypox patients. The disease can be spread through sexual contact too. Although this has not been said before, it is now thought that the virus can be transmitted through direct contact during sexual intercourse.
Treatment of Monkeypox
So far, there is no proven treatment for the monkeypox virus. However, according to the World Health Organization, the smallpox vaccine and antiviral drugs can help prevent the symptoms of Monkeypox. As with any virus outbreak, its rate can be prevented by taking appropriate measures.
Since the virus is not fatal, experts say there is little reason to worry about it. The United Kingdom has begun vaccinating small-scale healthcare workers who are most at risk of contracting the virus while serving patients.
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How Deadly is Monkeypox?
Congo clade has been seen in different parts of Africa. The death rate in the region is around 10% for the Congo clade. And children are more likely to die. On the other hand, the intensity of Central African Monkeypox is relatively low. The mortality rate of the infected in this species is about 1%.
The actual type of Monkeypox, which has been identified in 12 countries around the world, is not immediately known. However, Central African species have been identified in the UK, according to the health authorities.
Epidemiologists say monkeypox infections are usually "extremely rare." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expressed concern about the rise in monkeypox infections and warned that the virus could spread to the United Kingdom as well as Portugal and Spain.
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Is the Monkeypox Virus Airborne?
Although there is no evidence that Monkeypox is airborne, CDC instructed to take precautions as an airborne disease as it has a theoretical risk of airborne transmission. However, citing a study published in the journal Virological Methods in 2012, Harvard epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding said that Monkeypox might be like particles of airborne liquids or solids (aerosols).
So What's Going To Happen?
According to BBC, this outbreak is different, but the actual reason is not known yet. There are two things that can happen: either the virus has changed, or the same old virus has chosen the right place at the right time to become strong. Monkeypox is a DNA virus. So it does not have a quick mutation or mutation like Covid or Flu. Experts see it as a cause of relief.
A recent genetic analysis shows that the current infections are closely related to the structure of the virus in 2018 and 2019. It needs to be confirmed very soon, but so far, there is no evidence of a new strain or mutation in the virus. There is no need to transform the virus to take advantage of an opportunity that has been seen in the unexpectedly large outbreaks of Ebola and Zika viruses in the last decade.
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It is thought that the increase in human travel due to the lifting of the Covid pandemic restriction has contributed to the spread of the Monkeypox infection. Jimmy Whitworth, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Reuters, "My working theory would be that there's a lot of it about in west and central Africa, travel has resumed, and that's why we are seeing more cases."
How to Prevent Monkeypox?
According to WHO, travelers and residents of monkeypox-endemic countries should stay away from contacting sick mammals such as marsupials, rodents, and non-human primates (dead or alive). People also refrain from handling or eating wild games (bushmeat).
Final Words
Experts have not yet mentioned any specific vaccine for Monkeypox. However, the BBC says some countries have already begun preserving against smallpox. Researchers believe that the smallpox vaccine might be 85% effective because of the similarity of Monkeypox to smallpox. So far we have discussed the basic facts about Monkeypox including symptoms, treatment, and ways of prevention. Hope our discussion will help you to stay safe from this virus.
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Expert: Monkeypox likely spread by sex at 2 raves in Europe
A leading adviser to the World Health Organization described the unprecedented outbreak of the rare disease monkeypox in developed countries as “a random event” that might be explained by risky sexual behavior at two recent mass events in Europe.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Dr. David Heymann, who formerly headed WHO’s emergencies department, said the leading theory to explain the spread of the disease was sexual transmission among gay and bisexual men at two raves held in Spain and Belgium. Monkeypox has not previously triggered widespread outbreaks beyond Africa, where it is endemic in animals.
“We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected, and it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission,” said Heymann.
That marks a significant departure from the disease’s typical pattern of spread in central and western Africa, where people are mainly infected by animals like wild rodents and primates and outbreaks have not spread across borders.
To date, WHO has recorded more than 90 cases of monkeypox in a dozen countries including Britain, Spain, Israel, France, Switzerland, the U.S. and Australia.
Also read: Monkeypox: Govt orders screening passengers at all airports, land ports
Madrid’s senior health official said on Monday that the Spanish capital has recorded 30 confirmed cases so far. Enrique Ruiz Escudero said authorities are investigating possible links between a recent Gay Pride event in the Canary Islands, which drew some 80,000 people, and cases at a Madrid sauna.
Heymann chaired an urgent meeting of WHO’s advisory group on infectious disease threats on Friday to assess the ongoing epidemic and said there was no evidence to suggest that monkeypox might have mutated into a more infectious form.
Monkeypox typically causes fever, chills, rash, and lesions on the face or genitals. It can be spread through close contact with an infected person or their clothing or bedsheets, but sexual transmission has not yet been documented. Most people recover from the disease within several weeks without requiring hospitalization. Vaccines against smallpox, a related disease, are also effective in preventing monkeypox and some antiviral drugs are being developed.
The disease can be fatal in about 10% of infections, but no deaths have been reported among the current cases.
WHO said the outbreak is “atypical” and said the fact that cases are being seen in so many different countries suggests the disease may have been silently spreading for some time. The agency’s Europe director warned that as summer begins across the continent, mass gatherings, festivals and parties could accelerate the spread of monkeypox.
Other scientists have pointed out that it will be difficult to disentangle whether it is sex itself or the close contact related to sex that has driven the recent spread of monkeypox across Europe.
“By nature, sexual activity involves intimate contact, which one would expect to increase the likelihood of transmission, whatever a person’s sexual orientation and irrespective of the mode of transmission," said Mike Skinner, a virologist at Imperial College London.
On Sunday, the chief medical adviser of Britain’s Health Security Agency, Dr. Susan Hopkins, said she expected more monkeypox cases to be identified in the country “on a daily basis.”
Also read: Monkeypox usually self-limiting but may be severe in some individuals: WHO
U.K. officials have said “a notable proportion” of the cases in Britain and Europe have been in young men with no history of travel to Africa and who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men. Authorities in Portugal and Spain also said their cases were in men who mostly had sex with other men and whose infections were picked up when they sought help for lesions at sexual health clinics.
Heymann, who is also a professor of infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the monkeypox outbreak was likely a random event that might be traceable to a single infection.
“It’s very possible there was somebody who got infected, developed lesions on the genitals, hands or somewhere else, and then spread it to others when there was sexual or close, physical contact,” Heymann hypothesized. “And then there were these international events that seeded the outbreak around the world, into the U.S. and other European countries.”
He emphasized that the disease was unlikely to trigger widespread transmission.
“This is not COVID,” he said. “We need to slow it down, but it does not spread in the air and we have vaccines to protect against it.” Heymann said studies should be conducted rapidly to determine if monkeypox could be spread by people without symptoms and that populations at risk of the disease should take precautions to protect themselves