Monkeypox continues to spread across the world. Some 219 cases have been confirmed worldwide, according to a report from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), on May 26. In Morocco, there was more fear than harm: the three suspected cases announced Monday, May 23, proved negative after laboratory analyzes carried out at the Ibn Sina military hospital in Marrakech. The Ministry of Health has set up a system for epidemiological monitoring and surveillance of suspected cases of the disease. Here are the answers to the questions you are probably asking yourself.
1-What is this disease?
Close to smallpox, it is however to this day considered much less serious and less contagious. Monkey pox identified for the first time in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “The identification in May 2022 of clusters of monkeypox in several non-endemic countries [où la maladie ne circule pas] without a direct link with travel to endemic areas is atypical”, according to the WHO. Monkeypox is a viral disease capable of being transmitted from animals to humans and now from human to human since the virus seems to have changed recently by acquiring the ability to be transmitted between humans.
2-Where is it currently found?
The first case of this epidemic was identified in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2022, in a man who returned from Nigeria. It is in the countries with humid and tropical zones of West and Central Africa that the virus is often found, because of the favorable conditions for its reproduction in the animals which transmit it (most often rodents). Since then, the number of cases has increased in the United Kingdom (71 cases) and monkeypox has also been found in Spain (51), Portugal (37), Canada (15), United States (9), Australia ( 2), Israel (1) and the United Arab Emirates (1) … In total, 11 countries are concerned, at least, according to the WHO.
3-What are the symptoms?
Monkeypox gives a flu-like state, with symptoms that resemble, but less severe, those of smallpox (fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, etc.) during the first five days. Then appear rashes (on the face, the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet), lesions, pustules and finally scabs. The rash, which can reach up to a thousand pimples, tends to be concentrated on the face, the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. Pimples can also be located on the mouth, genitals and eyes.
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4-How is it transmitted?
Infection in initial cases results from direct contact with blood, body fluids, or skin or mucous membrane lesions of infected animals. In the current state of knowledge, secondary transmission – that is, human-to-human – requires close and prolonged contact between two people, and occurs mainly via saliva or pus from skin lesions formed during infection. Several experts have pointed out that while this virus can be caught during sexual activity, it is not a sexually transmitted disease. This transmission could be due to intimate and close contact during sexual intercourse and not by the sexual intercourse itself.
5-Can you die from it?
Monkeypox is a viral disease that is cured in the majority of cases. The disease, as hitherto known, usually heals spontaneously and the symptoms last for two to three weeks. Severe cases occur more frequently in children and are related to the extent of exposure to the virus, the patient’s medical condition and the severity of complications.
6-Is there a treatment?
There are no specific treatments or vaccines against monkeypox, but we can stem the multiplication of cases, explains the WHO.
It has been proven in the past that anti-smallpox vaccination had an efficiency estimated at 85% for the prevention of monkeypox. 1st and 2nd generation vaccines have not been used for the general population since 1984, due to the eradication of smallpox. A 3rd generation vaccine (non-replicating live vaccine, that is to say that does not replicate in the human body) has been authorized in Europe since July 2013 and is indicated against smallpox in adults.
Moreover, the European Union is preparing group purchases of vaccines and other treatments against monkeypox, the European Commission indicated on Thursday May 26, specifying that the details would be finalized in the coming days. European Commission health spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker said the European body HERA (Health Emergency Response Authority) “is working with Member States and manufacturers to procure vaccines and treatments against monkeypox”.
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7-What to do if you think you have monkeypox?
The directorate of epidemiology and disease control, affiliated with the Ministry of Health, which coordinates the protocol, revealed the various measures taken to deal with monkeypox, in particular prevention to counter the entry of the disease on the national territory, the early detection of cases and the action to be taken. Thus, anyone with a skin rash, vesicular or vesiculo-pustular, with fever above 38°C is qualified as a probable case.
On the other hand, a confirmed case is defined as being a probable case in which infection with the monkeypox virus has been confirmed by molecular technique in the laboratory.
The protocol from the Directorate of Epidemiology and Disease Control also emphasizes that anyone who has had direct unprotected physical contact with the injured skin or biological fluids of a probable or confirmed symptomatic case, regardless of the circumstances , is treated as a contact at risk. In any case, it is specified, any suspected or probable case must be immediately declared to the provincial/prefectural health authority responsible for the health structure (public or private) where the doctor mentioned the diagnosis.
The Provincial/Prefectural Delegation of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection coordinates, as a matter of urgency, with the regional Public Health service, the verification of the case definition and carries out the epidemiological investigation as soon as the case is classified as a probable case. .
8-Who are the contacts at risk?
– Anyone who has had direct, unprotected physical contact with the damaged skin or biological fluids of a probable or confirmed symptomatic case, whatever the circumstances, including in a healthcare setting, or sharing toilet utensils, or contact with textiles (clothing, bath linen, bedding) or dishes.
– Anyone who has had unprotected contact within 2 meters for 3 hours with a probable or confirmed symptomatic case (eg close or intimate friend, transport environment, office colleagues, sports club, etc.).
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9-What are the conditions of support?
The Ministry of Health has specified the conditions for the management of the various cases. So the action to take is as follows:
– Self-isolation for 3 weeks after last contact with the probable or confirmed case, with twice-daily temperature monitoring.
– The provincial/prefectural Rapid Response Team (RRT) must set up regular telephone follow-up to check that there are no symptoms of the disease.
– In the event of a fever or rash, a contact person should not go to a health facility, but their treatment will be organized by the EIR.
10-Can we do a monkeypox detection test in private laboratories?
The virology laboratories of the Ministry of Health have for the moment the exclusive right to carry out tests relating to the detection of monkeypox in suspected cases. Thus, for the time being, laboratory analyzes are carried out both at the National Institute of Hygiene and in military laboratories.