LONDON – British health authorities will start offering vaccines to some men who have sex with men and are at greater risk of catching smallpox, in an effort to contain the biggest outbreak of the disease beyond Africa.
Doctors may consider vaccinating some men at higher risk of exposure, the British health safety agency said in a statement on Tuesday. The agency identified those most at risk as men who have sex with men and who have multiple partners, participate in group sex, or attend places where sex takes place on the premises.
“By expanding the supply of vaccines to those most at risk, we hope to break the chains of transmission and help contain the outbreak,” said Health Safety Agency Chief Immunization Officer Dr. Mary Ramsay.
Last month, a senior adviser to the World Health Organization said the smallpox outbreak outside Africa was likely spread through the sexual activity of men at raves in Spain and Belgium.
Previously, vaccines were only available to healthcare workers caring for monkeypox patients or to cleaning products that disinfect areas contaminated by the virus. The vaccine was originally developed for smallpox, a related disease, but is believed to be about 85% effective against smallpox.
To date, more than 99% of smallpox cases in Britain are among men, and most of them are in men who are gay, bisexual or who have sex with men. Scientists warn that anyone who is in close physical contact with someone infected with smallpox or with their clothes or bedding is at risk of contracting the disease, regardless of their sexual orientation.
There are currently 793 smallpox cases in the UK, out of more than 2,100 cases in 42 countries across the world. No deaths outside Africa have been reported.
Until last month, monkeypox had only caused sizable outbreaks in central and western Africa; the mainland has so far reported more than 1,500 cases and 72 suspected deaths in a separate epidemic. Vaccines were never used in Africa to control monkeypox.
Last week, the director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the continued spread of smallpox in countries that had never seen the disease as “unusual and concerning”.
Tedros is convening a meeting of experts on Thursday to decide whether the spreading monkeypox outbreak warrants declaring a global emergency. This would give the same designation as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.
When was the last case of monkeypox in the UK?
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has detected 16 additional cases of monkeypox in England. The most recent cases, as of 26 May, bring the total number confirmed in England since 7 May to 101. There are currently 3 confirmed cases in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland, bringing the UK total. United to 106.
When was the most recent case of monkeypox? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Maryland Department of Health confirmed on November 16, 2021 a case of smallpox in a US resident who had recently returned to the United States from Nigeria.
Is there a vaccine for monkeypox UK?
Smallpox vaccine, cidofovir, and tecovirimat can be used to control smallpox outbreaks in monkeys. Smallpox vaccination can be used both pre- and post-exposure and is up to 85% effective in preventing smallpox. People vaccinated against smallpox in childhood may have a milder illness.
Does the UK still vaccinate against smallpox?
Routine smallpox vaccination ended in 1971.
Does the smallpox vaccine protect you from monkeypox?
According to the CDC, the smallpox vaccine is 85% effective against smallpox. While a more recent vaccine (JYNNEOS) targeted against monkeypox and smallpox has only been tested for efficacy in animals, it is also expected to be highly effective in humans.
Are there any cases of monkeypox in the UK?
Friday, June 10, 2022 There are currently 348 confirmed cases in England, 12 in Scotland, 2 in Northern Ireland and 4 in Wales. Anyone can get smallpox, particularly if you’ve had close contact, including sexual contact, with an individual with symptoms.
How many people in the UK have monkeypox?
| region of residence | Total confirmed |
|---|---|
| Unknown* | 27 |
| Total | 183 |
How many cases of monkeypox are there?
As global smallpox cases top 2,500, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published a smallpox update and removed the distinction between endemic and non-endemic nations to reflect a “unified response”. Today Our World in Data reported 2,580 confirmed global cases as of June 19.
How common is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is rare and does not spread easily among people without close contact. The smallpox threat to the general US population remains LOW.
How many cases of monkey pox are there?
Outbreak description Between 1 January and 15 June 2022, a cumulative total of 2,103 laboratory-confirmed cases, one probable case and one death were reported to WHO from 42 countries in five WHO regions. Most cases (98%) have been reported since May 2022 (Figure 1).
Does monkeypox cause death?
Is smallpox fatal? The less severe West African clade is causing the current worldwide outbreak (2022). No one has died from this outbreak to date. But monkeypox can lead to other problems (complications) such as pneumonia and infections of the brain (encephalitis) or eyes, which can be fatal.
How many monkeypox in UK?
There are currently 287 confirmed cases in England, 10 in Scotland, 2 in Northern Ireland and 3 in Wales.
Where is monkey pox most common?
Monkeypox is most common in Central and West Africa. But in May 2022, health officials began reporting an outbreak of the virus in several regions outside of Africa. As of early June 2022, the CDC had confirmed 35 cases of smallpox and a related virus in the US and more than 1,000 cases worldwide.
Is monkey pox common?
Monkeypox is rare and does not spread easily among people without close contact. The smallpox threat to the general US population remains LOW.
Do people still get smallpox vaccine?
It was successfully used to eradicate smallpox from the human population. Routine smallpox vaccination of the American public stopped in 1972 after the disease was eradicated in the United States.
Why don’t we vaccinate smallpox anymore? Recommended Vaccines for Travel and Some Specific Groups After smallpox was eliminated from the world, routine smallpox vaccination among the general public was discontinued because it was no longer needed.
What vaccination left a round scar?
The smallpox vaccine contains a live virus. It creates a controlled infection that forces your immune system to defend your body against the virus. Exposure to the virus tends to leave a painful, itchy bump behind. This swelling later becomes a larger blister that leaves a permanent scar as it dries.
What years did they vaccinate for smallpox?
In 1798, the first smallpox vaccine was developed. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the systematic implementation of mass immunization against smallpox culminated in its global eradication in 1979.
Is smallpox vaccine still given today?
The smallpox vaccine was discontinued from routine use in the United States in 1972. Thus, most people in this country under the age of 50 have never been vaccinated against smallpox.
When did they stop giving the smallpox vaccine in Canada?
And in 1980 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the spread of smallpox had been stopped and the disease had been eliminated. Because there is a small risk of serious reactions and even death from the smallpox vaccine, routine smallpox immunization ended in Canada in 1972.
Who was the last person to get the smallpox vaccine?
The Last Person To Get Smallpox Dedicated His Life To Ending Polio : Shots – Health News : NPR. Last person to catch smallpox dedicated his life to ending polio : Shots – Health News In the 1970s, Ali Maow Maalin, an employee at a Somali hospital, was the last member of the general public to catch smallpox – all over the world. world.
Who is the last person to get smallpox?
Ali Maow Maalin was the last person to have naturally acquired smallpox caused by smallpox minor. Maalin was a hospital cook in Merca, Somalia. On October 12, 1977, he traveled with two smallpox patients in a hospital vehicle to the local smallpox office. On October 22, he developed a fever.
When was the last person vaccinated for smallpox?
Routine smallpox vaccination of the American public stopped in 1972 after the disease was eradicated in the United States.
When were smallpox vaccines given?
The first smallpox vaccine in the United States was administered in 1799. Physician Valentine Seaman gave his children a smallpox vaccine using a serum purchased from Jenner.
When was the last smallpox given?
Widespread vaccination and surveillance have been carried out around the world for several years. The last known natural case was in Somalia in 1977. In 1980, the WHO declared smallpox eradicated – the only infectious disease to achieve this distinction.
How easy is it to get monkeypox?
Rodents, like squirrels, can transmit smallpox from monkeys. Humans can get it if they are bitten by an infected animal or touch the animal’s skin or bodily fluids.
How common is monkeypox? Monkeypox is rare and does not spread easily among people without close contact. The smallpox threat to the general US population remains LOW.
How do you know if you have monkeypox?
Smallpox symptoms usually begin within 2 weeks of exposure to the virus. The first symptoms can be flu-like, such as fever, headache, muscle and back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills or exhaustion. Within 1-3 days of the onset of these symptoms, people develop a rash or sores.
How do you get monkey pox?
Monkeypox spreads in different ways….The virus can spread from person to person through:
- direct contact with the infectious rash, crusts or body fluids.
- respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, caressing, or sex.
How long does it take to show symptoms of monkeypox?
Monkeypox Symptoms It usually takes between 1 and 2 weeks after exposure to get sick with the monkeypox virus, but it can take up to 3 weeks. Symptoms include: Fever.
What does monkeypox feel like?
Smallpox symptoms can develop five to 21 days after infection. Most people recover after two to four weeks. The illness usually starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion, which can last a day or two. Some patients may also have painful, swollen lymph nodes.
What is monkeypox and how do you get it?
Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a smallpox-like disease occurred in groups of monkeys being used for research. It is mainly transmitted through human contact with infected rodents, but it can sometimes be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.
How does a person get monkeypox?
Monkeypox spreads in different ways. The virus can spread from person to person through: direct contact with infectious rashes, crusts, or body fluids. respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, caressing, or sex.
Does monkeypox cause death?
Most people with smallpox recover on their own. But 5% of people with monkeypox die. It appears that the current strain causes less severe disease. The fatality rate is about 1% with the current strain.
What is monkeypox cure?
There are no specific treatments for monkeypox virus infections. However, smallpox and smallpox viruses are genetically similar, which means that antiviral drugs and vaccines designed to protect against smallpox can be used to prevent and treat smallpox virus infections.
What are the signs of monkeypox?
Symptoms of monkeypox can include:
- Fever.
- Headache.
- Muscle aches and back pain.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Goosebumps.
- Exhaustion.
- A rash that may look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, such as the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.
How does someone get monkeypox?
People can catch smallpox from animals, either through bites or scratches or by preparing wild game meat, according to the CDC. Exposure also occurs through close contact with body fluids, respiratory droplets, lesions that form during an infection, or contaminated items such as clothing or bedding.
How is monkeypox transferred?
Monkeypox is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids or wounds on the body of someone who has smallpox, or through direct contact with materials that have touched bodily fluids or wounds, such as clothing or sheets. It can also spread through respiratory secretions when people have close, face-to-face contact.
How does a person get monkeypox?
Monkeypox spreads in different ways. The virus can spread from person to person through: direct contact with infectious rashes, crusts, or body fluids. respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, caressing, or sex.
What animal causes monkeypox?
Monkeypox can be caught from infected rodents (such as rats, mice and squirrels) in parts of western and central Africa. You can get smallpox from an infected animal if you are bitten or touch its blood, body fluids, stains, blisters, or scabs.
Where is monkey pox most common?
Monkeypox is most common in Central and West Africa. But in May 2022, health officials began reporting an outbreak of the virus in several regions outside of Africa. As of early June 2022, the CDC had confirmed 35 cases of smallpox and a related virus in the US and more than 1,000 cases worldwide.
Which countries have smallpox? Cases have been reported from Spain (69)*Portugal (59), Netherlands (20), Germany (16), France (12), Italy (9), Belgium (6), Czech Republic (4), Ireland (2) * , Sweden (2), Finland (1), Malta (1), Slovenia (1). 136 confirmed cases were reported outside the EU/EEA.
Where is the monkey pox at?
How widespread is it? Usually found in or linked to Central and West African countries. As of May 2022, cases have been identified in many other countries, including the US.
How is monkey pox spread?
Person-to-person transmission is possible through close physical contact with bodily fluids, smallpox wounds, items that have been contaminated with fluids or wounds (clothes, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets after prolonged personal contact.
How many cases of monkey pox are there in the US?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today reported more than 1,300 smallpox cases worldwide, including 45 in the United States.
What caused monkeypox?
People can catch smallpox from animals, either through bites or scratches or by preparing wild game meat, according to the CDC. Exposure also occurs through close contact with body fluids, respiratory droplets, lesions that form during an infection, or contaminated items such as clothing or bedding.
What country is monkeypox from?
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus infection. Monkeypox occurs throughout Central and West Africa, often near rainforests.
How common is monkeypox in the US?
There are now 21 confirmed cases of smallpox in the United States. Today, in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the CDC offered details of the first cases. The MMWR report tracks the first 17 cases found in nine states through May 31. Sixteen of the 17 cases were in men who have sex with men (MSM).
How many cases of monkey pox are there in the US?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today reported more than 1,300 smallpox cases worldwide, including 45 in the United States.
