Monkeypox: Virologist sees no danger of epidemic, despite deaths
Created: 08/02/2022, 16:30
By: Natalie Hull Drawbar
Monkeypox continues to spread in Europe.
A virologist from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich still estimates the endemic risk to be low.
On the one hand, science and politics say that infection with the monkeypox virus is limited to certain risk groups, on the other hand, the
World Health Organization
(
WHO
) declares the spread of the virus to be an emergency.
After two deaths were reported in Spain as a result of monkeypox and two minors contracted the virus in Germany, uncertainty is also increasing among the population.
Does this mean that the spread of monkeypox could end up in an epidemic or even a pandemic?
The available vaccination certainly offers protection against the virus.
It has so far been recommended by the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) in Germany for certain risk groups and people who have had close contact with infected people.
But given the current situation, should monkeypox be vaccinated across Europe?
Monkeypox: Virologist sees no danger of epidemic, despite deaths
Left untreated, monkeypox virus infection can be fatal.
(Iconic image) © Science Photo Library/Imago
According to
BR24
, there are currently no plans to vaccinate people in Germany against monkeypox on a large scale.
So far, neither scientists nor politicians have spoken of a vaccination offer, a vaccination recommendation for everyone or even a vaccination obligation for Germans.
According to the
Robert Koch Institute
(
RKI
), the outbreak in Germany can be limited in addition to the effective monkeypox vaccine for risk groups "if infections are recognized in good time and precautionary measures implemented." According to the RKI, there have been 2724 cases of monkeypox infection so far reported to all 16 federal states (as of August 2nd, 2022).
The veterinarian and virologist at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Dr.
Gerd Sutter, does not classify the current events of the infections as a danger of a new epidemic in Germany or Europe or even a worldwide pandemic.
"Transmissions of monkeypox are relatively inefficient compared to infections with Covid-19 or influenza viruses and - with adequate measures for diagnosis and contact determination - usually only lead to short chains of infection," explains the virologist Dr.
Sutter opposite
BR24
.
It is nevertheless advisable to minimize possible risks of spread and, for example, to stay away from large celebrations or festivals on the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Virologists like Dr.
Sutter know that the frequency of zoonoses - infectious diseases that can be transmitted naturally from animals to humans - will increase.
Reasons for this would be that people are having more and more contact with animals in new areas.
The consequences of climate change and traveling to remote areas of the world could play a role.
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Monkeypox: history, contagion, spread, symptoms, vaccination protection
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