You snooze you lose?
Since the outbreaks of mpox, governments have been replenishing their stocks of the smallpox vaccine (after a period of moving to destroy them).
The vaccines developed to protect people against smallpox are also effective against mpox. However, the smallpox vaccination campaign ended shortly after the world was declared smallpox-free in the 1980s.
Double strand DNA viruses are less likely to mutate than single stranded RNA (the virus that causes COVID-19, for example, is made from single stranded RNA).
Hopefully vaccination coupled with its relatively slow spread will help to contain mpox.
Sources: (BBC) (NHS)
The World Health Organization nonetheless considers mpox to be a global health emergency, and this may be because of a virus we no longer hear much about: smallpox.
Without going into detail, the good news is that the mpox virus carries a double strand of DNA.
Although it is contagious, monkeypox is not as readily transmissible as COVID-19, which spreads rapidly via tiny droplets that we expel as we breathe.
Since then, it has likely undergone a high number of mutations that have allowed it to infect and spread more easily between humans.
In terms of why it is spreading, further genetic analysis (although still preliminary) has shown that this variant of the mpox may have learnt to jump from human to human as early as 2017.
Looking ahead, it seems reasonable that health authorities would be concerned about whether the mpox virus will evolve, that is to say, mutate into a more dangerous variant.
Genetic analysis has revealed that the variant of the virus causing the recent outbreaks belongs to a branch of the evolutionary tree that first appeared in West Africa.
However, some people experience more severe symptoms and become quite unwell. In these cases, hospital treatment is sometimes needed.
The recent outbreak of monkeypox has puzzled health authorities and scientists. Until May 2022, the virus had been confined to Africa, and it is not clear why this has changed.
The symptoms of mpox can be very nasty, but they usually clear up in a few weeks without treatment.
However, there have been a number of outbreaks since May 2022 in the US, UK, Australia, mainland Europe, and Canada. The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency.
Given the name "monkeypox" because it was first discovered in monkeys in Denmark in 1958, the virus that causes this nasty infection is nowadays most commonly found in Central and West Africa.
It is not yet clear why this is. It may just be a coincidence; there is no evidence that the virus passes more quickly through this section of the population than any other.
Indeed, it is not yet clear that the virus can spread through sexual transmission routes. It seems to be close, intimate contact that is most important.
Mpox instead seems to spread by having close physical contact (usually prolonged) with someone who is infected.
It may even have undergone a mutation that helps it inhibit some of our immune defenses.
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that between April and June 2022, 98% of the infections in 16 countries were in men who have sex with men.
The rash is not dissimilar to that caused by chickenpox. It starts as raised bumps, which then turn into small fluid-filled blisters. These then eventually scab and fall off.
If you’ve been keeping up with the news recently, you’ve probably heard of mpox or monkeypox. Despite its name, this rare infection has very little to do with monkeys.
According to the existing research, it is likely that the mpox virus originates in rodents, and is then passed from animals to humans.
However, there is no obvious link to any of the countries where the virus is currently endemic. In fact, experts suspect the virus was circulating outside Africa long before May 2022.
This means that our immunity against mpox is not as high as it would have been if we had continued to vaccinate against smallpox.
According to Madeline Barron from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), "It could be contact with someone who has an infectious rash, such as lesions, scabs and bodily fluids.”
The initial symptoms of the infection include fever, headaches, muscle aches, swollen glands, exhaustion, and joint pain. Between one and five days after the onset of symptoms, a rash usually appears.
As the world continues to feel the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of other viruses is on people's minds. One of the more pressing concerns is the spread of monkeypox, a chickenpox-like virus that causes unpleasant skin lesions.
Until recently, the monkeypox virus had not been seen outside of West and Central Africa for years. Since May 2022, however, it has spread to various other continents. In 2024, a new strain called clade 1b mpox was detected in Sweden and Thailand, and has since spread to other countries including the UK.
If you're concerned or simply curious, check out this gallery to learn all about monkeypox.
What is monkeypox exactly, and why is it spreading?
The virus continues to evolve as 2024 comes to a close
HEALTH Viruses
As the world continues to feel the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of other viruses is on people's minds. One of the more pressing concerns is the spread of monkeypox, a chickenpox-like virus that causes unpleasant skin lesions.
Until recently, the monkeypox virus had not been seen outside of West and Central Africa for years. Since May 2022, however, it has spread to various other continents. In 2024, a new strain called clade 1b mpox was detected in Sweden and Thailand, and has since spread to other countries including the UK.
If you're concerned or simply curious, check out this gallery to learn all about monkeypox.