Global cases of monkeypox (MPX) had passed the 19,000-mark by July 26 and Spain continues to have the highest total with 3,738 cases, while the order of the next three has changed to USA (3,590), UK (2,432) and Germany (2,410). The UKHSA announced this week an update on the case definition of MPX to ’help both individuals and clinical professionals identify monkeypox symptoms’. The widespread outbreaks of monkeypox have now been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the WHO after the director-general cast a deciding vote when the committee could not reach a consensus. His reasons for doing so included concern over the dearth of knowledge on new modes of transmission in a global outbreak with rising case numbers (and likely many more undiagnosed). It was therefore gauged that ‘the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where we assess the risk as high … There is also a clear risk of further international spread’. The monkeypox PHEIC is the third in place currently, along with COVID-19 and polio. Temporary recommendations based on each country’s epidemiological situation have been set by the WHO and it has now established a live dashboard with monkeypox data. In related news, a CIDRAP post summarises the findings from a large international study on the MPX virus which is likely to lead to an expansion of ‘the current international case definitions … to add symptoms that are not currently included’. Read more
Advice for travellers
Closely related to the smallpox virus, monkeypox has its origins in Central and Western Africa. Rodents are the suspected reservoir, with monkeys and humans as secondary or ‘spill-over’ hosts. People travelling in endemic countries can be infected by eating undercooked ‘bushmeat’ or handling infected animals, making infection a low risk in those regions. More recently, monkeypox has spread person-to-person around the globe, primarily through large respiratory droplets, but also via direct contact with skin lesions or body fluids (i.e. close or intimate contact) and indirect contact by way of contaminated bedding, clothes etc. Read more from the WHO on the current outbreaks of monkeypox.
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.