Monkeypox (also known as “Monkeypox” or MKP) has made its sensational debut in areas not endemic to the disease, Europe and North America in particular, thus creating fear of a new pandemic, when that of Covid-19 is barely coming to an end. The symptoms being quite impressive, many false information circulate about it. lepetitjournal.com comes back for you on the main information and intox.
The name monkeypox derives from the initial discovery of the virus in monkeys in a Danish laboratory in 1958. There are two viral groups of monkeypox: the West African viral group and the Congo Basin (African center). The first human case was identified in a child in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. For the moment (as of May 22), 250 cases have been identified by the WHO outside the usual outbreaks of the disease, including 7 in France on May 25.
Monkeypox is a disease of homosexuals
FAUX. Monkeypox is not an STI (sexually transmitted infection) per se. It is spread by contact with infected respiratory tract secretions, skin lesions of an infected person, or objects recently contaminated with body fluids, such as blood or saliva. We can therefore also become contaminated through contact with the patient’s environment (bedding, clothing, dishes, bath linen). Obviously, sexual relations with infected people present risks of contamination – regardless of their sexual orientation.
Being a homosexual or bisexual man is not an aggravating factor in terms of risk. On the other hand, being multi-partnered can be – again regardless of sexual orientation. However, men who have sex with men are more at risk than the general population due to a higher than average number of sexual partners. The WHO also indicates that they would be more numerous in the cases identified because homosexual or bisexual men are more proactive in terms of medical consultation.
The comparison between male homosexuality and monkeypox has been made, in addition to the classic amalgamation dating back to the 1980s and the HIV epidemic, because clusters have been identified in Europe after gay events (a fetish festival in Belgium and a Pride in the Canary Islands). All the events that stir up the world and invite promiscuity are places of risk factors for contagion.
LGBT associations and UNAIDS warn of the dangerous amalgams that are made between monkeypox and male homosexuality. ” Stigma and blame undermine trust and the ability to respond effectively during outbreaks like this said Matthew Kavanagh, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.
Monkeypox is more dangerous than Covid-19
FAUX. Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although clinically less severe. The WHO wants to be optimistic because it sees no sign of a mutation of the virus. ” Infectious disease does not tend to progress “, Argued the organization, noting that this virus had fewer mutations but that sequencing would make it possible to better understand the recent outbreak of new infections.
Unlike Covid, a person infected with monkeypox is not contagious until symptoms start.
Monkeypox does not spread the same way as Covid-19. Symptoms can be very similar to those experienced by patients with smallpox, although clinically less severe. These symptoms are nonetheless visually dramatic, with raised pustules and a fever that can last two to four weeks.
« Typical case fatality rate in monkeypox outbreaks is 1-10% “says l’OMS (between 2 and 3% for Covid-19). However, these figures should be put into perspective because they come from countries endemic for smallpox, i.e. in Central and West Africa, where medical care is unfortunately far from the level of European and Western hospitals: this lethality rate would therefore be lower in France for example.
There is no cure or prevent for monkeypox
True and false. Monkeypox usually clears up on its own in two to three weeks for patients not in the risk group. This group includes immunocompromised people, pregnant women and young children. The incubation period for monkeypox is usually 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days.
The health authorities still recommend vaccination against human smallpox, which is 85% effective against Monkeypox, in the event that the patient has been in contact with someone infected. For this public, vaccination must take place “ ideally within 4 days after the risky contact and at most 14 days later”, explains the High Health Authority. Brigitte Bourguignon, the new Minister of Health indicated that France had a sufficient stock of vaccines for potential contact cases.
The serum in question is Imvanex, a Danish vaccine developed by the firm Bavarian Nordic. This third-generation vaccine poses fewer risks than previous smallpox vaccines. It is already regularly administered to people who are immune-compromised, such as those with HIV. Namely that people over 50 have already been vaccinated against smallpox because the vaccine was compulsory until 1979.