Monkey Pox - Issue #25

Monkey Pox

As the world is still wrapped in the COVID-19 pandemic, another virus, not at pandemic level, is spreading. Monkey pox is spreading Africa, the United Kingdom, and now the U.S. What has been forgotten, perhaps in local coverage, is that Maryland had a monkey pox case in 2021. The Maryland Health Department reported:

The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), today confirmed a single case of monkeypox virus infection in a Maryland resident who recently returned from Nigeria. The individual presented with mild symptoms, is currently recovering in isolation and is not hospitalized. No special precautions are recommended at this time for the general public.

“Public health authorities have identified and continue to follow up with those who may have been in contact with the diagnosed individual,“ said MDH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Dr. Jinlene Chan. “Our response in close coordination with CDC officials demonstrates the importance of maintaining a strong public health infrastructure.”

Monkeypox is in the same family of viruses as smallpox but generally causes a milder infection. It can be spread between people through direct contact with skin lesions or body fluids, or contaminated materials such as clothing or linens. It can also be spread through large respiratory droplets which generally cannot travel more than a few feet, and prolonged face-to-face contact is required. 

Though, this time there have been a number of monkey pox cases in the U.S., as it is known right now, Maryland hasn't had a recorded case of yet. However, Virginia has and DC is investigating a case, according to news reports. See below.

However, we should be knowledgable about Monkey Pox. I compiled a number of resources for you all to consume.

Two of our neighboring states, Pennsylvania and Virginia now have confirmed cases of monkeypox. Washington, D.C., is also investigating a suspected case after the individual recently traveled to Europe. The CDC says the virus can spread from person to person via infectious sores, scabs or bodily fluids.

But monkeypox is no SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, says Jay Hooper, a virologist at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Maryland. It doesn’t transmit from person to person as readily, and because it is related to the smallpox virus, there are already treatments and vaccines on hand for curbing its spread. So although scientists are concerned — because any new viral behaviour is worrying — they are not panicked.

Monkeypox is an orthopoxvirus, a family that includes the now eradicated smallpox virus; vaccines and drugs developed to ward off or treat smallpox are expected to offer some protection against monkeypox. Monkeypox triggers milder illness than smallpox did — the latter was fatal in about 30% of cases.

Favored shot is a seemingly safer smallpox vaccine, but efficacy remains unclear

Media outlets including ABC News, Reuters, and Sky News have led monkeypox coverage with images of Black people.

A long-running outbreak in Nigeria should have served as notice that it was only a matter of time before this orthopoxvirus spread.

It’s likely the U.S. will see more cases of monkeypox in coming weeks, but officials cautioned that it’s harder to transmit the virus than to spread respiratory illnesses like COVID-19. 

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