WHO expert on monkeypox: "We have a good window of opportunity to stop the transmission now"

Created: 05/28/2022, 05:00

By: Momir Takac

Confirmed cases of monkeypox are rising.

In Europe, three countries in particular are affected.

A pharmaceutical company is now developing PCR tests - the news ticker.

• Monkeypox in Germany: More and more cases are registered.

• Monkeypox in Europe: Majority of cases in three countries.

• Monkeypox vaccine: African health authority calls on western countries not to stockpile smallpox vaccine.

• This news ticker is updated regularly.

Update from May 27, 6:28 p.m.: Monkeypox

has now also been detected in Latin America.

The virus was confirmed in a man in Argentina, the South American country's Ministry of Health announced on Friday.

The man from the greater Buenos Aires area was in Spain at the beginning of May and after his return to Argentina developed symptoms such as fever and skin blisters on various parts of the body.

After an examination in a hospital, he was quarantined.

The man has the first documented monkeypox infection in Latin America.

There is also a new suspected case in a person from Spain who is currently visiting Argentina.

Another suspected case was reported from Bolivia.

The patient's samples were also sent to a laboratory in Argentina for testing.

Update from May 27, 5:15 p.m

.: The World Health Organization (WHO) has words of calm admonishing: “This is not a disease that should make the public concerned.

It's not about Covid," WHO expert Sylvie Briand said on Friday (May 27) in Geneva at a briefing for WHO member countries.

Measures are indicated, but the mood of alarm is counterproductive.

As of Friday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 16 cases of monkeypox in Germany from six federal states.

According to Briand, the most important measures are rapid registration of the sick and isolation of those affected.

The WHO assumes mostly mild courses.

There is a certain risk of severe courses in pregnant women, children and people with weak immune systems.

Overall, the WHO expert was positive: "We have a good time window to stop the transmission now," said Briand.

Monkey pox: not only sexually transmitted, but also through (more intensive) skin contact

Update from May 27, 1:04 p.m

.: Will the Stiko generally recommend vaccination against monkeypox?

The epidemiologist Gérard Krause does not believe that, but that it will remain an "individual decision" in this country - "as far as can be foreseen at the moment," he said at a press briefing by the Science Media Center (SMC).

The Munich infectiologist Clemens Wendtner explained at the briefing that the virus could also be detected in sperm.

"Ultimately, we are also dealing with a sexually transmitted disease." The physician Roman Wölfel expressed a similar view.

In most cases, however, the pathogen was transmitted through close physical contact, the experts emphasized.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) also assumes this transmission route, but emphasizes that the risk of infection is not limited to sexually active people.

However, the health authorities estimate it to be low for the general population.

also read

Monkeypox in Germany: Munich and Berlin affected - WHO expert explains the route of infection

Monkeypox in Germany: Lauterbach announces isolation – countries “take the situation seriously”

There is no approved vaccination specifically against monkeypox (symbol image).

© Bernd Weißbrod/dpa

Second monkeypox case in Baden-Württemberg

Update from May 27, 10:45 a.m

.: In Baden-Württemberg there is a second case of monkeypox, with an already known contact person.

She was with the monkeypox patient's trip out of the state and is in isolation.

This was announced by a Ministry of Health in Stuttgart.

A travel returnee from Spain has been treated at the University Hospital in Freiburg since last Sunday.

He initially had fever, cough and showed typical skin changes.

In the following days, the university hospital wanted to examine the case of infection for the variant of the monkeypox virus.

Monkeypox: African authorities warn against hoarding of smallpox vaccine

Update from May 26, 4:24 p.m .:

The African Contagious Diseases Agency (CDC) has warned against the hoarding of vaccines in western countries given the spread of monkeypox cases in Europe and North America.

Ahmed Ogwell, deputy director of the CDC, appealed on Thursday for lessons to be learned from the early days of the corona pandemic.

Currently, health authorities in African countries where the disease is endemic were short on vaccine.

Therefore, the health service workers “on the front lines” of disease control would be vaccinated in particular.

"We hope that vaccine will be available primarily where the risk is highest - not where you can pay a lot for it."

The disease is endemic in countries such as Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria.

The African health experts therefore know how to deal with monkeypox and are ready to share their knowledge, Ogwell continued.

"We are in close contact with our partner authorities in Europe and the USA."

Monkeypox: "Fear-mongering" and stigmatization of certain population groups problematic

Update from May 26, 10:13 a.m .:

The cases of monkeypox in non-African countries are increasing.

According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), men who say they have had sex with other men are the most affected.

In this context, the federal government's queer commissioner, Sven Lehmann, fears prejudice against homosexual and bisexual men.

"Panemonism and stigmatization must be avoided at all costs," said the Green politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group.

Lehmann went on to say that many gay men are currently reminded of the beginning of the AIDS crisis.

At the time, "the infection was attributed exclusively to gay men," according to the government's queer commissioner.

"As a result, gay men were stigmatized and other groups were given little protection."

Lehmann is convinced that this procedure "cost umpteen lives" and harmed prevention.

He also called on the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Federal Ministry of Health to “make their communication more sensitive in this regard”.

Monkeypox is spreading: 19 countries affected, more than 200 cases registered in total

Update from May 26, 7 a.m.:

According to EU health authorities, more than 200 cases of monkeypox outside of Africa have now been confirmed.

A total of 19 countries where the disease does not normally occur have confirmed at least one case, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Wednesday evening.

“Most of the cases are young men who self-identify as men who have sex with men.

There were no deaths,” added the Stockholm-based European agency.

Monkeypox: Majority of cases in three European countries

Outside of the 11 African countries where this rare disease is endemic, most confirmed cases are currently concentrated in three countries: the UK (71 cases), Spain (51) and Portugal (37).

A total of 191 cases were confirmed in Europe, plus 15 in Canada, nine in the United States, two in Australia, one each in Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Suspected cases were not counted in the balance sheet.

On Monday, in its first risk assessment, the ECDC classified the probability of infection in the general population as “very low”, but as “high” in people with multiple sexual partners.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had shown optimism that it would be able to stop the spread of the disease.

Monkeypox is a less dangerous cousin of smallpox, which was eradicated about 40 years ago.

The disease begins with a high fever and quickly progresses to a crusting rash.

Monkeypox: Pharmaceutical company develops PCR tests for detection

Update from May 25, 8:35 p.m .:

In the current infection process involving monkeypox, the pharmaceutical company Roche has now developed PCR tests to detect the virus found in numerous countries.

Roche announced on Wednesday evening in Basel that three different Lightmix Modular test kits had been created together with the subsidiary TIB Molbiol.

The monkeypox virus has recently not only spread to the African continent, but has also been detected in European countries.

The new test kits from Roche are intended to help monitor the further spread of the virus and monitor the effect of therapies, vaccines and measures.

In the past few days, several cases of monkeypox have been detected using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) in special laboratories.

The virus is easier to detect with test kits

Monkeypox: Manufacturer of the vaccine does not expect a shortage of the vaccine

Update from May 25, 3:45 p.m .:

According to the manufacturer of the monkeypox vaccine Imvanex, the current outbreak is not expected to result in a shortage of the vaccine.

"We believe that we can meet global demand without further investments in our production facilities," said spokesman for the company Bavarian Nordic, Rolf Sass Sørensen, in an interview with dpa on Wednesday.

Bavarian Nordic is headquartered in Denmark, where production also takes place.

However, the vector vaccine was developed in the German branch in Martinsried near Munich.

The company has the only approved monkeypox vaccine in the world.

It is currently possible to produce 30 million cans a year, said Sørensen.

However, approval for monkeypox is limited to the United States, where the vaccine is known as Jynneos, and Canada.

Approval in the European Union is being planned, said Sørensen.

In Europe, the vaccine has so far only been approved for smallpox, which is believed to be extinct in humans.

In Great Britain, for example, the vaccine is also used "off-label", i.e. without the appropriate approval, Sørensen continues.

The spokesman did not want to reveal exactly what quantities of the vaccine were sold to which countries.

However, he emphasized that the company is currently receiving inquiries "from many, many countries" and that it is likely to receive inquiries from all countries affected by the current outbreak.

According to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), Germany has ordered "up to 40,000 doses" of smallpox vaccine.

Monkeypox: The federal government wants to get up to 40,000 doses of a vaccine

Update from May 25, 2:21 p.m .: In

view of the increasing cases of monkeypox, the federal government procures up to 40,000 doses of a vaccine.

However, the crowd worries the President of the Society for Virology.

It could be tight, fears Ralf Bartenschlager from Heidelberg University Hospital.

"Nevertheless, this is a good start, especially for vaccinations in the area of ​​​​known infection clusters, which will probably clearly limit the outbreak," said Bartenschlager of the German Press Agency.

"We don't know how the outbreak will continue to develop.

Therefore, you should start with these vaccinations quickly.

Otherwise, if the pathogen spreads further, it will become increasingly difficult to contain it.”

Monkeypox: Ten more cases found in Canada

Update from May 25, 1:36 p.m .:

Ten more cases of monkeypox were found in Canada on Tuesday.

This increased the total number of confirmed cases of infection in the province of Québec to 15, according to the health authorities.

"We expect more cases to be confirmed in the coming days," said Canada's Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.

According to him, further samples are currently being examined in laboratories.

Stiko boss Mertens: Vaccination against monkeypox makes sense, especially for risk groups

First report from May 25, 2022:

Berlin/Munich - In Germany, the cases of monkeypox are increasing every day.

Concern is growing that the rare viral disease could spread at a rate similar to that of the corona virus.

Politicians and experts are already discussing measures to curb the spread.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, for example, recommends a quarantine of at least 21 days in the event of an infection with monkeypox.

Physicians also consider this to be useful.

Because as long as patients have pustules, they are considered highly infectious.

In view of the increasing number of cases of monkeypox in Germany, a discussion about preventive measures has also flared up.

Monkey pox news: Stiko boss Mertens believes vaccination against risk groups makes sense

keyword vaccination.

The head of the Standing Vaccination Commission has now commented on this.

He considers preventive vaccination of risk groups to be useful, said Thomas Mertens of the

.

"We are currently thinking about it." Vaccination of the entire population in Germany is "very unlikely," he said.

Mertens pointed out that only one vaccine could be considered, and that it was "much better tolerated" than the classic smallpox vaccine, which caused meningitis in one out of around 20,000 cases.

In contrast to the classic smallpox vaccination, no side effects are to be expected with the modern vaccine.

Monkeypox in Germany: According to virologist Ciesek, severe courses are possible

Older people who have been vaccinated against smallpox are also vaccinated against monkeypox, according to the Stiko boss.

"A certain protection probably lasts for life," said Mertens.

Although the vaccination protection is not complete, it at least protects against serious diseases.

Bavaria's Health Minister Klaus Holetschek has already announced that he wants to order a monkeypox vaccine.

Lauterbach ordered "up to 40,000 cans".

The fact that Germany needs measures against monkeypox is due to the dangerous nature of the pathogen.

According to virologist Sandra Ciesek, the virus can be associated with complications or severe courses.