An Overview Of Monkeypox Outbreaks In African Union Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic is still not completely ended and the second public health threat a global outbreak of monkeypox is creating a high alert for the world. More than 350 suspected and confirmed cases of the monkeypox disease had been reported till 26th May 2022 in around two dozen countries along with Europe, the Americas, North Africa, the Middle East, as well as Australia. we can say that it is a mild version of smallpox. Although, Monkeypox is not a new disease. First of all, it was reported in a monkey in the year 1958 and after that, it is called monkeypox. The first infection case in a human was reported in the year 1970 in a small child in Taiwan.

Monkeypox Outbreak In African Union Countries: Outbreak Brief 10

In Africa, the number of confirmed laboratory cases of monkeypox has reached 780 from 13th May 2022 to 2nd June 2022 according to the survey WHO. Epidemiological research is still going on. The maximum reported cases so far are coming just because of sexual health or other health issues in primary or secondary health care services as well as have involved mainly, but not completely, men who have sex with men (MSM).

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis and it is a type of virus that has been transmitted from animals to humans its symptoms are quite the same as those which were observed in smallpox patients. However, It has been proved clinically that it is not very harmful. Smallpox has almost eradicated in 1980 with the support of vaccination but now the new disease monkeypox has appeared as the major orthopoxvirus for public health. This disease primarily occurs in west and central Africa, frequently in proximity to tropical rainforests, and right now rapidly appearing in urban areas.

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Monkeypox is widespread in West and Central Africa, as well as the disease rarely, causes exploded elsewhere in the world, but most of them are quickly vanished by themselves. This explosion seems completely different (it is told by Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at the University of California which is situated in Los Angeles). She has researched monkeypox in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo).

Around 3,000 confirmed monkeypox cases have been reported so far this year in countries beyond the West and Central Africa region, but there is no death reported till now from this virus. However, health officials have reported more than 70 deaths that they suspect were caused by monkeypox in Africa. This number is a consequence of limited testing and surveillance capacity, it is told to Dimie Ogoina, which is an infectious-disease physician at Niger Delta University in Amassoma, situated in Nigeria. However, he is very disappointed because the western nations are still not taking it seriously to monkeypox, Dimie worries about the situation in Africa and he wants to draw the attention of the world to this.

Lowered immunity may be harmful and it may be the major cause of monkeypox. Researchers have found that cases of monkeypox is rapidly rising in sub-Saharan Africa for years and this is happening just because these countries have completely stopped giving people vaccines against smallpox, which is generally caused by variola, it is a type of virus that is sharply connected to the one that causes monkeypox. Smallpox has been eradicated in 1980 and vaccination was completely stopped, it simply means that a huge number of the population is helpless to it — and therefore monkeypox cases are rapidly rising in Africa.

The Latest Global Update (non-endemic countries)

There are 59,179 confirmed cases have been reported of monkeypox along with 136 deaths reported from 103 countries/territories worldwide till 14th September 2022.

References:

🔵 Center For Disease And Control(n.d)Monkeypox symptoms(Available Online): https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html

🔵Cleveland Clinic(n.d)Monkeypox(Available Online)https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22371-monkeypox