Monkeypox, coming to a state near you, update: WHO declares "global health emergency"

[Spork3245]

Massachusetts reports first confirmed U.S. case of monkeypox this year

THEHILL.COM

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Massachusetts on Wednesday reported the first confirmed U.S. case of monkeypox this year in a man who had recently travelled to Canada. The case comes amid an...

Harambe’s revenge may have taken its time, but it will be just.

[Spork3245]

Worth noting that this seems to be a “new” strain of monkeypox which is much more mild than the OG strain which has a 10% mortality rate. This strain, so far, is less than 1% deaths. However, what’s very odd about monkeypox is that the younger you are, the more deadly it is to you; children are the most likely to have the worse cases. Think like reverse-COVID in terms of “highest risk”.

[Kal-El814]

I, for one, welcome this glorious new virus to our Commonwealth.

[CayceG]

Monkeypox comes from mice. 

[Spork3245]

2 minutes ago, CayceG said:

Monkeypox comes from mice. 

So, NYC is screwed?

[Jason]

7 minutes ago, CayceG said:

Monkeypox comes from mice. 

 

Fake news, it's right there in the name. 

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

It’s just the flu bro

[Jason]

5 minutes ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said:

It’s just the chickenpox bro

 

[silentbob]

I for one will welcome our coming overlord Caesar as our worlds new supreme leader.  

[CitizenVectron]

"I wish everyone would move past COVID!"

 

[silentbob]

 

9 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

"I wish everyone would move past COVID!"

 

(Tried to look for Homer’s reaction)

[unogueen]

Why can't a cooler animal infect us? Like an eagle, or a cobra. Unless this is one of those things that starts will ill willed procreation.

[Keyser_Soze]

We finally can find something bad about Canada to rub in @CitizenVectron's face.

[CitizenVectron]

9 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

We finally can find something bad about Canada to rub in @CitizenVectron's face.

 

We're known for our toxic monkeys.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 minute ago, CitizenVectron said:

We're known for our toxic monkeys.

 

You can generally spot them hanging out in those maple trees.

[SoberChef]

2 hours ago, unogueen said:

Why can't a cooler animal infect us? Like an eagle, or a cobra. Unless this is one of those things that starts will ill willed procreation.

 

 

Spoiler

Also, Marion Cobretti doesn't shop at TOPS Markets

 

[Xbob42]

9 hours ago, unogueen said:

Why can't a cooler animal infect us? Like an eagle, or a cobra. Unless this is one of those things that starts will ill willed procreation.

I've been fucking sharks for 3 months now but they just don't have any cool diseases to pass to us.

[SuperSpreader]

12 hours ago, unogueen said:

Why can't a cooler animal infect us? Like an eagle, or a cobra. Unless this is one of those things that starts will ill willed procreation.

Bald Eagle Flu 

[skillzdadirecta]

I know quite a few people with severe cases of Dragon Breath 

[AbsolutSurgen]

Montreal health officials investigate 17 cases of suspected monkeypox

NATIONALPOST.COM

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MONTREAL — Montreal public health officials said on Thursday they are investigating 17 suspected cases of monkeypox virus infections, adding to the growing…

1)  It's reportedly the West Africa variant that is less virulent

2)  Transmission seems to be mostly from bodily fluids (i.e. not airborne) - it reportedly is difficult (but not impossible) to catch it from airborne transmission

3)  Not much to see here.

[Spork3245]

On 5/19/2022 at 2:22 PM, AbsolutSurgen said:

Montreal health officials investigate 17 cases of suspected monkeypox

NATIONALPOST.COM

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MONTREAL — Montreal public health officials said on Thursday they are investigating 17 suspected cases of monkeypox virus infections, adding to the growing…

1)  It's reportedly the West Africa variant that is less virulent

2)  Transmission seems to be mostly from bodily fluids (i.e. not airborne) - it reportedly is difficult (but not impossible) to catch it from airborne transmission

3)  Not much to see here.

Incorrect. It can spread via airborne mucus droplets from coughing/sneezing. It’s also a bit early to claim “not much to see here”, especially considering with how rapidly it seems to be spreading, but I’m simultaneously not claiming doom and gloom.

Anyway, it’s now in NYC. 

[AbsolutSurgen]

17 hours ago, Spork3245 said:

Incorrect. It can spread via airborne mucus droplets from coughing/sneezing. It’s also a bit early to claim “not much to see here”, especially considering with how rapidly it seems to be spreading, but I’m simultaneously not claiming doom and gloom.

Anyway, it’s now in NYC. 

I said it could, but it was rare.  There is still no evidence that there is any widespread community transmission, and only ~120 reported cases outside of Africa.

 

So far, the cases have been primarily (though not entirely) contained to MSM and their close contacts. Monkeypox is endemic to certain areas of Africa (and in some years there have 000s of cases), and there has been spread outside of Africa every couple of years.  Because there were 10s of  cases in Europe, some experts initially thought that somehow the virus had mutated to have more airborne transmission.  However, there is still no evidence of that.

 

In Spain, more than 30 cases have been traced back to a single bathhouse in Madrid, many cases in Belgium have been tied back to the "fetish" Darklands Festival in Antwerp, all of the first 14 cases in the UK were found in MSM, and most of the Canadian cases (primarily in montreal) have been identified through people visiting sexual health clinics.  It appears that it is these superspreader events that has magnified the case count this time, rather than any mutation in the virus that made it more transmissable. 

 

There are no reported deaths from Monkeypox outside of Africa.

[Spork3245]

2 hours ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

I said it could, but it was rare.  There is still no evidence that there is any widespread community transmission, and only ~120 reported cases outside of Africa.

 

So far, the cases have been primarily (though not entirely) contained to MSM and their close contacts. Monkeypox is endemic to certain areas of Africa (and in some years there have 000s of cases), and there has been spread outside of Africa every couple of years.  Because there were 10s of  cases in Europe, some experts initially thought that somehow the virus had mutated to have more airborne transmission.  However, there is still no evidence of that.

 

In Spain, more than 30 cases have been traced back to a single bathhouse in Madrid, many cases in Belgium have been tied back to the "fetish" Darklands Festival in Antwerp, all of the first 14 cases in the UK were found in MSM, and most of the Canadian cases (primarily in montreal) have been identified through people visiting sexual health clinics.  It appears that it is these superspreader events that has magnified the case count this time, rather than any mutation in the virus that made it more transmissable. 

 

There are no reported deaths from Monkeypox outside of Africa.

 

Multi-country monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries

WWW.WHO.INT

 

That’s directly from the WHO. 
Again, to reiterate in case there was confusion, I’m by no way stating that it is a big deal, I’m just cautious against a “nothing to see here” mindset this early.

 

Edit: and to clarify, by “airborne”, in this context, it’s not pure aerosol like COVID, but by being in range of someone coughing/sneezing. 

[AbsolutSurgen]

3 hours ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Multi-country monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries

WWW.WHO.INT

 

That’s directly from the WHO. 
Again, to reiterate in case there was confusion, I’m by no way stating that it is a big deal, I’m just cautious against a “nothing to see here” mindset this early.

 

Edit: and to clarify, by “airborne”, in this context, it’s not pure aerosol like COVID, but by being in range of someone coughing/sneezing. 

What I said:

On 5/19/2022 at 2:22 PM, AbsolutSurgen said:

 

2)  Transmission seems to be mostly from bodily fluids (i.e. not airborne) - it reportedly is difficult (but not impossible) to catch it from airborne transmission

 

[Spork3245]

47 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

What I said:

 

There’s zero inference to the degree of difficulty of contracting this through respiratory means in that. AFAIK this is similar to chickenpox in ways of transmission and has the same methods of transmission, and chickenpox main way of transmission is inhalation (not saying the main way of transmission for monkeypox is respiratory).

[AbsolutSurgen]

10 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

There’s zero inference to the degree of difficulty of contracting this through respiratory means in that. AFAIK this is similar to chickenpox in ways of transmission and has the same methods of transmission, and chickenpox main way of transmission is inhalation (not saying the main way of transmission for monkeypox is respiratory).

Chickenpox is a highly transmissible virus -- but isn't related to Monkeypox (even though they have similar names).

 

 

 

[Spork3245]

11 hours ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Chickenpox is a highly transmissible virus -- but isn't related to Monkeypox (even though they have similar names).

 

 

 

I never stated it was directly related, read my post again. I only commented on ways of transmission being similar.

[AbsolutSurgen]

6 hours ago, Spork3245 said:

I never stated it was directly related, read my post again. I only commented on ways of transmission being similar.

They aren't though.  That's the point.  Chickenpox is primarily airborne, monkeypox is primarily through direct contact with bodily fluids (or the "pox" themselves).

[AbsolutSurgen]

Expert: Monkeypox likely spread by sex at 2 raves in Europe | AP News

APNEWS.COM

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LONDON (AP) — A leading adviser to the World Health Organization described the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox in developed countries as “a random event” that might be explained by sexual behavior at two recent raves in Europe.

Quote

Dr. David Heymann, who formerly headed WHO’s emergencies department, told The Associated Press that the leading theory to explain the spread of the disease was sexual transmission among men at 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.

....

“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.”

 

[Spork3245]

1 hour ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

They aren't though.  That's the point.  Chickenpox is primarily airborne, monkeypox is primarily through direct contact with bodily fluids (or the "pox" themselves).

 

Except the WHO stated in their most recent release that it transmits via respiratory means through mucus/saliva droplets in the air. COVID and influenza aren't related (at all), but they have similar methods of transmission. I never stated that monkeypox main method of transmission was respiratory, only comparing it's methods of transmission to that of chickenpox. 

Can you source that this variant is unlikely to transmit via respiratory means? The latest guidelines/info are what I previously linked, and it makes no distinction. The previous/OG variant may have been different, but that's not very relevant to what we're discussing.

[AbsolutSurgen]

19 hours ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Except the WHO stated in their most recent release that it transmits via respiratory means through mucus/saliva droplets in the air. COVID and influenza aren't related (at all), but they have similar methods of transmission. I never stated that monkeypox main method of transmission was respiratory, only comparing it's methods of transmission to that of chickenpox. 

Can you source that this variant is unlikely to transmit via respiratory means? The latest guidelines/info are what I previously linked, and it makes no distinction. The previous/OG variant may have been different, but that's not very relevant to what we're discussing.

Everything CDC wants you to know about monkeypox and the current risk level

ARSTECHNICA.COM

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"We do know a lot about monkeypox from many decades of studying it."

 

Quote

"This is not an easily transmissible virus through respiratory droplets and things like that," Capt. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the CDC's Division of High Consequence, said in today's briefing.

....

How does monkeypox spread?

Monkeypox virus can spread from prolonged exposure to respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions, or direct contact with materials (such as linens and clothes) that have been contaminated by fluid from skin lesions. "The most infectious aspect of this disease are those lesions on the skin—they carry the most virus," Brooks emphasized.

That means that the people generally at risk have close, physical, prolonged contact with someone infected—such as sexual partners, family members, and health care workers.

Does it spread through the air?

Yes, but not well at all. In terms of respiratory transmission, the main concern is lesions in the mouth and throat that can spew high numbers of virus particles. "It really is the lesions that is the source of the virus," McQuiston said. To achieve respiratory transmission, the virus requires prolonged face-to-face interaction.

"What we're talking about here is close contact," McQuiston said. "It's not a situation where if you're passing someone in the grocery store, they're going to be at risk for monkeypox."

As evidence of this, McQuiston noted that there had been nine travel-associated monkeypox cases from Nigeria, all of which flew on airplanes for long periods. Health officials have followed up with multiple contacts for those patients, and, to date, there's no indication that monkeypox spread from them.

....

Could monkeypox spillover from people into domestic and wild animals in the US and become endemic?

It's theoretically possible but considered to be a very low risk. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control noted this possibility in a risk assessment released Monday but concluded that "the probability of this spillover event is very low."

McQuiston echoed the assessment of a very low risk while addressing the issue. She highlighted a US outbreak of monkeypox cases in 2003 when 47 people were infected via pet prairie dogs housed with monkeypox-infected rodents from Ghana.

All 47 human cases were directly linked to the infected pet prairie dogs. Although health investigators did extensive testing of other domestic and exposed animals, they found no evidence of spread or endemicity.

"I think, while we continue to watch, our 2003 outbreak gives us data to not be as worried," McQuiston said.

Expert: Monkeypox likely spread by sex at 2 raves in Europe | AP News

APNEWS.COM

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LONDON (AP) — A leading adviser to the World Health Organization described the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox in developed countries as “a random event” that appears to have been caused by sexual activity at two recent raves in Europe.

Quote

A leading adviser to the World Health Organization described the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox in developed countries as “a random event” that appears to have been caused by sexual activity at two recent raves in Europe.

Dr. David Heymann, who formerly headed WHO’s emergencies department, told The Associated Press that the leading theory to explain the spread of the disease was sexual transmission at 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.

....

“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.”

 

[Jason]

 

[TUFKAK]

Community spread in the Bay, treated several patients over the last week.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

WHO has declared a "global health emergency"

 

Monkeypox declared global health emergency by WHO as cases surge | Monkeypox | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

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Declaration is strongest call to action agency can make, with most recent such announcement being for Covid

 

Quote

 

The global monkeypox outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) – the strongest call to action the agency can make.

 

It is the seventh time such a declaration has been made since 2009, the most recent being for Covid-19, which was given the same label by the WHO in 2020, and follows a meeting of a committee of experts on Thursday.

 

Monkeypox is a viral infection typically found in animals in central and western Africa, although it can cause outbreaks in humans. While cases are occasionally identified in countries where the virus is not endemic, the latest outbreak has been unprecedented.

 

 

[TUFKAK]

I picked a really good time to no longer be in an open relationship here in the bay that’s for sure.

 

Treating monkey pox patients in my ER daily now.