A new study points out that monkeypox is transmitted primarily through sexual contact.
The monkeypox pandemic continues to gain momentum. As of August 9, 2,601 cases have been recorded on French territory. In a new study published in the scientific journal The Lancet and conducted in Spain From June 11 to 20, a team of researchers revealed information about the people most affected by this viral infection, as well as the most recurring symptoms.
Transmission of monkeypox virus
To carry out their work, the researchers recruited 181 with confirmed infection with monkeypox via medical tests. Among this panel, 92% of the patients were homosexual or bisexual. The remaining 8% were heterosexual men or women. Regarding the symptoms, we learn that all had had skin lesions, mainly in the anogenital and oral areas.
“In our cohort, monkeypox caused genital, perianal, and oral lesions and complications, including proctitis and tonsillitis,” the authors explain. For information, proctitis is an inflammation of the rectum; and tonsillitis, an infection of the tonsils. In addition to this, the researchers reveal that “almost all of the participants had previous sexual exposure to someone known to have monkeypox or had risk factors for sexually transmitted diseases, such as multiple sexual partners over the 12 weeks preceding their diagnosis of monkeypox or the use of recreational drugs during sexual intercourse”.
A higher viral load
The results of the analyzes reveal that viral loads in these areas are three times higher compared to respiratory samples. They conclude: “This observation, together with the location of the lesions, the individuals’ history of exposure, and concurrent sexually transmitted infections, suggests that close contact during sexual intercourse is the dominant form of monkeypox transmission in the current epidemic. Faced with these results, they recommend that public health messages be targeted at populations at risk, and “must be adapted to highlight the risk of transmission linked to close contact, skin to skin”.