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Tag: monkeypox virus

  • WHO calls emergency assembly as Europe confirms 100 monkeypox circumstances | What we all know to date

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) held an emergency assembly on Friday to debate the latest outbreak of monkeypox, a viral an infection extra frequent to west and central Africa, after over 100 circumstances have been confirmed or suspected in Europe.

    The WHO committee assembly to debate the difficulty is the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards with Pandemic and Epidemic Potential (STAG-IH), which advises on an infection dangers that might pose a world well being menace. It wouldn’t be chargeable for deciding whether or not the outbreak ought to be declared a public well being emergency of worldwide concern, WHO’s highest type of alert, which is at the moment utilized to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    ALSO READ: Spain confirms 7 monkeypox circumstances as European outbreak grows

    Here’s what we all know to date about Monkeypox:

    – The first European case was confirmed on May 7 in a person who returned to England from Nigeria.

    – Since then, over 100 circumstances have been confirmed exterior Africa, in keeping with a tracker by a University of Oxford tutorial.

    – Portugal detected 9 extra circumstances on Friday, taking its whole to 23.

    – Spain reported 24 new circumstances on Friday, primarily within the Madrid area the place the regional authorities closed a sauna linked to nearly all of infections.

    – Many of the circumstances aren’t linked to journey to the continent. As a end result, the reason for this outbreak is unclear, though well being authorities have mentioned that there’s probably some extent of group unfold.

    – Cases have been reported in at the least 9 international locations Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom – in addition to the United States, Canada and Australia.

    – Germany described it as the biggest outbreak in Europe ever.

    ALSO READ: US sees first monkeypox case of 2022 as Europe experiences small outbreaks

    – There is not any particular vaccine for monkeypox, however information reveals that the vaccines used to eradicate smallpox are as much as 85% efficient towards monkeypox, in keeping with the WHO.

    – British authorities mentioned they’ve provided a smallpox vaccine to some healthcare employees and others who could have been uncovered to monkeypox.

    – Most are being detected by means of sexual well being companies and amongst males who’ve intercourse with males, and the vast geographic unfold throughout Europe and past means that transmission could have been happening for a while.

    – In Britain, the place 20 circumstances have been now confirmed, the UK Health Security Agency mentioned the latest circumstances within the nation have been predominantly amongst males who self-identified as homosexual, bisexual or males who’ve intercourse with males.

    – Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has directed the National Centre for Disease Control and the ICMR to maintain a detailed watch on the state of affairs.

    – The Union well being ministry has instructed airport and port authorities that any sick passenger with a journey historical past to Monkeypox-affected international locations be remoted and samples despatched to the National Institute of Virology.

    (With enter from AP and Reuters)

    ALSO READ: What is Monkeypox? Symptoms, incidence and is human-to-human transmission doable?

    ALSO READ: Keep watch, ship sick travellers’ samples from Monkeypox-affected nations to NIV: Govt to officers

  • Monkeypox: Canada confirms first two instances; Australia reviews possible case

    Canada’s public well being company Thursday confirmed the primary two instances of monkeypox virus infections within the nation after authorities in Quebec province mentioned they have been investigating 17 suspected instances. Meanwhile, Australian authorities on Friday mentioned that they had recognized a possible case of monkeypox in a lately returned traveller to Europe, with confirmatory testing underway.

    A person in his 40s developed a light sickness a number of days after arriving again in Sydney with signs clinically appropriate with monkeypox, New South Wales state well being division mentioned. The man and a family contact are isolating at dwelling, it mentioned in a press release.

    Several nations together with Portugal and Spain have reported instances of monkeypox in current weeks, with a US case recognized by Massachusetts public well being officers on Wednesday in a person who had lately travelled to the Canadian province of Quebec.

    “Tonight, the Province of Quebec was notified that two samples received by the NML (National Microbiology Laboratory) have tested positive for monkeypox. These are the first two cases confirmed in Canada,” the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) mentioned in a press release, including Canada had by no means earlier than seen monkeypox instances.

    Monkeypox, which principally happens in west and central Africa, is a uncommon viral an infection much like human smallpox, although milder. It was first recorded within the Democratic Republic of Congo within the Nineteen Seventies. The variety of instances in West Africa has elevated within the final decade.

    Symptoms embrace fever, complications and pores and skin rashes beginning on the face and spreading to the remainder of the physique.

    Health officers in Montreal, Quebec’s largest metropolis, instructed reporters earlier on Thursday that there was a hyperlink between the US case of monkeypox in Massachusetts and some of the suspected instances within the Montreal area.

    PHAC mentioned the US citizen who had lately travelled to Canada from the US by personal transportation “may have been infected before or during” his go to to Montreal.

  • Gay males requested to be alert as monkeypox circumstances rise to seven in UK

    Gay and bisexual males are being urged to be alert to uncommon rashes or lesions after 4 new circumstances of the monkeypox virus had been confirmed by UK well being authorities, taking the whole variety of infections within the nation to seven for the reason that first case emerged earlier this yr.

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) mentioned on Monday night that the entire new circumstances, three in London and one within the north east of England, self-identify as homosexual, bisexual or different males who’ve intercourse with males (MSM).

    There is not any hyperlink to journey to a rustic the place monkeypox is endemic, and precisely the place and the way they acquired their infections stays beneath “urgent investigation”, together with whether or not they have additional hyperlinks to one another, it mentioned.

    “We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay,” mentioned Dr Susan Hopkins, UKHSA Chief Medical Adviser.

    “This is rare and unusual. UKHSA is rapidly investigating the source of these infections because the evidence suggests that there may be transmission of the monkeypox virus in the community, spread by close contact,” she mentioned, including that potential shut contacts of the seven recognized circumstances are being contacted to offer well being data and recommendation.

    Currently, widespread contacts between the circumstances have been recognized for 2 of the 4 newest circumstances. Those sufferers needing medical care are all in specialist infectious illness items on the Royal Free Hospital, Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne and Guys’ and St. Thomas’ in London.

    The UKHSA mentioned all of them have the West African clade of the virus, which is “mild” in comparison with the Central African clade.

    “Due to the recent increase in cases and uncertainties around where some of these individuals acquired their infection, we are working closely with NHS [National Health Service] partners to identify if there may have been more cases in recent weeks, as well as international partners to understand if similar rises have been seen in other countries,” the well being company mentioned.

    Monkeypox is a viral an infection normally related to journey to West Africa. It is normally a light self-limiting sickness, unfold by very shut contact with somebody with monkeypox and most of the people recuperate inside just a few weeks.

    “The virus does not spread easily between people and the risk to the UK population is low. However, the most recent cases are in gay, bisexual and other MSM communities, and as the virus spreads through close contact, we are advising these groups to be alert to any unusual rashes or lesions on any part of their body, especially their genitalia, and to contact a sexual health service if they have concerns,” the UKHSA mentioned.

    The well being authorities are urging anybody with considerations that they may very well be contaminated with monkeypox to make contact with clinics forward of their go to, reiterating that their dialogue can be handled “sensitively and confidentially”.

    “Clinicians should be alert to individuals presenting with rashes without a clear alternative diagnosis and should contact specialist services for advice,” the company mentioned. Initial signs of monkeypox embrace fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

    A rash can develop, typically starting on the face, then spreading to different elements of the physique together with the genitals. The rash modifications and goes via totally different levels, and may appear to be chickenpox or syphilis, earlier than lastly forming a scab, which later falls off.