“We’ve already lost control of the epidemic,” said David Harvey, director of the National Coalition for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, in recent days regarding the increase in monkeypox cases in the United States. According to him, there are many more cases than the data shows, so we need to act now to get this epidemic under control.

Europe is the focal point

On June 1, there were only 702 confirmed cases of monkeypox, today there are more than 6,000. A is our word in data statistical according to the most, 1,077 cases from the United Kingdom, the number of identified infected people was 969 in Germany, 800 in Spain, 402 in Portugal, 395 in the United States, 498 in France, 287 in Canada, 257 in the Netherlands, 159 in Italy. So far, the National Public Health Center has reported 19 cases of infection in Hungary.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, ECDC, end of June according to your information a total of 4,178 cases of monkeypox were identified as of June 28 from 31 countries in the European region. In this epidemic, the first patient with monkeypox symptoms was recorded in Europe on April 17.

The majority of those infected visited the doctor because they had rashes, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, sore throat or headache.

No one has yet died from those infected with monkeypox in Europe.

So far, ten healthcare workers have been diagnosed with the infection, and further investigations are underway to determine whether the infection was contracted during their work.

They are already testing in America

The first case of monkeypox in the United States was found in Massachusetts in May of this year. Since then, the virus has already appeared in 28 states of the USA, and 351 people have been confirmed infected, according to data from the CDC on June 29. However, he made many more people sick.

The epidemic is bigger, perhaps much bigger, than the number of cases suggests

epidemiologist Keletso Makofane believes. A staff member of Harvard University is among those infected, and his experience shows that health workers cannot identify the disease, and due to the wide-ranging symptoms, they can diagnose herpes, syphilis or, as he did, even colon cancer – wrongly.

America is unprepared for a monkeypox outbreak, according to Makafone, who has long pleaded in vain to be tested for the virus.

It’s only been less than a week since the White House announced that corporate laboratories will be authorized to conduct monkeypox tests, greatly increasing the nation’s capacity to detect the smallpox virus. American public health laboratories process more than 8,000 orthopoxvirus tests per week, with this step increasing the capacity to 10,000.

Testing is very important for two reasons. On the one hand, to stop the epidemic, since asymptomatic persons can spread the virus against their will. On the other hand, confirmed infected people receive the drugs that help them recover faster and avoid serious symptoms.

Two familiar ones: PCR, antigen and antibody

There are basically three types of tests to detect monkeypox, and everyone is already familiar with them from COVID-19. The PCR shows whether the person is currently infected, the antigen test shows whether they have been infected recently, while the antibody tests show whether they have ever had the disease.

According to the WHO, the PCR test is the standard test for the detection of monkeypox, and a positive result of the antigen and antibody tests definitely confirms the infection.

Most diagnostic manufacturers also rely on PCR tests, and although they will almost certainly not have as much revenue from these as from COVID tests, the decrease in demand for the latter can be at least partially offset by the latter.

Vaccines packed

The US government not only increases testing capacities, but also announced a strengthened national vaccination strategy to prevent the spread of monkeypox to curb it.

“All Americans should be concerned about cases of monkeypox. Fortunately, we now have the tools to detect and treat the infection in America,” said Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health. The ministry will make 296,000 doses of vaccine available in the coming weeks, including 56,000 doses at the same time as the announcement at the end of June, and calculates that a total of 1.6 million doses will be available in the United States by the end of the year.

In the US (as well as Europe and several other countries), the two approved vaccines for smallpox prevention are ACAM200 and JYNNEOSTM (also known as Imvamune or Imvanex).

In the tests, the second vaccine, containing a live, weakened virus, proved effective and had fewer side effects. two of these doses must be administered 28 days apart, the other is a single dose, but the patient was considered protected only after 28 days.

The smallpox and monkeypox vaccines are effective in protecting people against monkeypox when given before exposure to the virus. The experts believe that vaccination after monkeypox also makes sense, because it might prevent the disease or its worsening. The CDC recommends that the vaccine be administered within 4 days of exposure to clinically develop the disease. If they vaccinate later, but within 14 days, they can reduce the symptoms of the disease, but they do not prevent the development of the disease.

European Commission Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority on June 28that

in response to the monkeypox epidemic, the delivery of vaccine doses purchased by the EU in the first round begins: of the 109,090 doses just purchased, 5,300 doses will arrive in Spain for the first time.

shipments will arrive regularly in the coming weeks and months to ensure that all participants are ready to respond to the current monkeypox outbreak, they said, adding that the most affected benefit.

The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has launched a targeted vaccination program for men at higher risk of exposure. According to the British strategy, the doctor can recommend vaccination to those who, for example, have several partners, participate in sex parties or are bi- or homosexual. In the island country, the Imvanex vaccine is also used for those affected.

Missing links

According to the World Health Organization, it is currently unclear whether infected but asymptomatic individuals transmit the virus. What can be seen is that in many cases it remains unclear how the person caught the virus. Infected people did not travel or come into contact with other infected people.

This means that the virus is spreading mysteriously in some communities and cities.

“The fact that we can’t reconstruct the chain of transmission means that there are a lot of missing links,” says Jennifer Nuzzo of Brown University. epidemiologist.

One of the main reasons for this may be that a large proportion of those affected, 34.5 percent, are homosexual and bisexual. This means 3,040 men between the ages of 31 and 40, 39.3 percent of whom are HIV-positive.

Although monkeypox is not technically classified as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), it looks and acts like common STIs and has the same barriers to recognition and treatment, which include stigma and knowledgeable service provider. access – points out David Harvey quoted at the beginning of the article. According to the American expert, the United States must immediately provide a coordinated response to the epidemic. Invest in testing, educate both lay people and clinicians to detect, and prepare for mass vaccination.

Cover image: Getty Images