The ECDC says the overall risk of smallpox is rated as moderate to high “for people who have multiple sexual partners and low for the general population”.
Local health officer at North Bay District Parry Sound District Health Unit is asking for calm when it comes to the smallpox outbreak that has hit Canada.
The multinational smallpox outbreak, a rare disease that comes from the same family of viruses that causes smallpox, has been active since early May.
As of Wednesday, a total of 219 confirmed cases had been reported worldwide. Most cases have been detected in young men, who are identified as having sex with men (MSM). Of these, 118 confirmed cases from 12 EU / EEA Member States.
According to Dr. Michael Head, a senior researcher in global health at the University of Southampton (UK), “the monkey’s smallpox, as its name suggests, was first found in laboratory monkeys in the late 1950s. , scientists are not sure if monkeys are the main reservoirs of animals (carriers of the virus), so the name may be a bit wrong.The last thought is that the main reservoir is probably smaller animals, such as rodents “.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) notes that this is the first time that monkeypox transmission chains have been reported in Europe without known epidemiological links to West or Central Africa.
There are 16 confirmed cases in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, all in Quebec.
Although the “risk of monkeypox is low, almost everyone in Canada is susceptible to routine smallpox vaccination, which ended decades ago,” PHAC officials said in a report last week. of CP indicating that Canada is considering using a smallpox vaccine reserve for smallpox cases.
“Let’s look at the risk and put it in perspective,” Dr. Jim Chirico says after Wednesday’s Health Council meeting. “The overall risk to the general public is very, very low.”
“Monkeypox (MPX) is not easily spread between people. Human-to-human transmission occurs through close contact with infectious material from the skin of an infected person, through face-to-face contact droplets. (predominantly in clothing, such as contaminated clothing, towels, or furniture). lesions that occur in some cases suggest that the transmission occurred during sexual intercourse. ”, according to an ECDC risk assessment.
The virus is transmitted through close contact between people, especially in the same home, including the sexual route, the ECDC advises. According to his epidemiological assessment, “the likelihood of spreading MPX in people who have multiple sexual partners in the EU / EEA is considered high”.
Knowing the signs and symptoms is the most important part, says Chirico, “but most cases are very mild and, in addition to treating the symptoms, nothing else is usually required and most people do not end up in hospital. “It’s limited. In two to four weeks, it’s over.”
The monkeypox virus can cause serious illness in certain population groups, such as young children, pregnant women, and immunosuppressed people.
“Although most cases of current outbreaks have shown mild symptoms of the disease,” notes the ECDC’s risk assessment, “the likelihood of cases with severe morbidity cannot yet be accurately estimated. The overall risk it is rated as moderate for people who have multiple sexual partners (including some HSH groups) and low for the general population. “
Chirico advises local residents to “be aware of the signs and symptoms of monkeypox. Initially, they are similar to the flu, where they may have headaches, fever, chills, muscle aches, perhaps back pain and fatigue. you may experience sweating and the other important thing to keep in mind is lumps and bumps, such as enlarged lymph nodes. “
About one to three days after the onset of symptoms, a rash may appear, and it may appear on the face and go to the rest of the body. In about 75 percent of cases, it will be in the hands and feet, he says.
A personal assessment of the risk of monkeypox infection is also important, says Dr. Chirico. “Sexual contact, possible exposure to a person diagnosed with smallpox or a symptomatic person and awaiting laboratory confirmation.
“If you have any signs and symptoms of monkeypox, isolate immediately and get tested by your primary health care provider. And stay isolated until the test result is known. If you test positive for monkeypox, you should that isolate until the lesions are resolved, that is, the crusts have fallen off and there is new skin.
“If you are in contact with a person with smallpox, you can self-monitor your symptoms for 21 days and seek medical attention or tests if you have symptoms, but you do not need to be quarantined if you do not have any symptoms. “