The current outbreak of monkeypox has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health emergency of international importance (PHEIC) . It is the highest global alert level , a distinction currently only exhibited by covid-19 and polio.
This is the seventh time such a declaration has been made in the last 13 years . In 2009 it was due to the pandemic of the H1N1 virus (swine flu), in 2014 due to poliomyelitis , in the period 2013-2016 due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, in 2015 and 2016 due to the epidemic of the Zika , from 2018 to 2020 due to the Ebola epidemic in Kivu, and the penultimate due to the covid-19 pandemic .
The WHO’s formal declaration defines a public health emergency of international concern as “an extraordinary event determined to constitute a risk to the public health of other States through the international spread of disease and potentially requiring an international response. coordinated”.
This decision is made when a situation arises that is serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected , that carries public health implications beyond the national border of the affected State and that may require immediate international action. And it seems that this is the case. The recommendations are temporary and require reviews every three months .
The WHO has reported that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally, but high in Europe, where most of the infections have occurred since the outbreak began last spring. From May 6 to July 22, 2022, more than 16,500 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in at least 74 different countries .
As this monkeypox outbreak spreads, we are offering the virus an unprecedented opportunity to establish itself in non-African species. This could cause, in various countries and continents, recurrent outbreaks in humans. And in the worst case, encourage more dangerous variants of the virus to evolve. Plenty of reasons to consider the WHO statement timely.
Who and how are they infected?
At the moment, this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple partners. That means we can stop it if we apply the right strategies in communities at high risk of exposure , which can differ by context and include gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Of course, avoiding at all times stigmatizing the main affected .
At the same time, the protection of vulnerable groups (immunosuppressed individuals, children, pregnant women) who may be at risk of contracting severe monkeypox must not be lost sight of.
From the moment symptoms begin, the monkeypox virus can spread from person to person . It does this through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids . But also in contact with respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact , such as sexual contact. Moreover, it is enough to touch clothes or bedding that have previously been in contact with the infectious rash or the body fluids of an infected person for contagion to occur.
Pregnant women can transmit the virus to the fetus through the placenta . It is also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal.
At this time, it is not known whether monkeypox can be spread through semen or vaginal fluids, but monkeypox DNA has been detected in semen up to day 11 after acute infection in men. For this reason, some health agencies have taken a cautious approach, recommending that confirmed cases use condoms during sexual intercourse for up to 12 weeks after complete recovery from infection. The illness usually lasts 2 to 4 weeks .
Risk communication and case isolation, among other measures
Actions proposed by the WHO include targeted risk communication and community engagement, case detection, case isolation and supportive treatment, contact tracing, and even targeted immunization for people at high risk of exposure to monkeypox.
The declaration is expected to expand technical, financial and human resources to the extent possible and maintain mutual accountability for the actions of affected communities. Furthermore, it puts extra pressure on governments to take action.
There is still time to control the current outbreak and prevent the possibility of humans infected with the virus spreading it to wildlife outside of Africa. Let’s not miss this opportunity, it may be the last.