The monkey pox virus is on the rise, the number of infected people in Europe is growing and even in the Netherlands, the first six infections have been identified. Amsterdam UMC virologist Matthijs Welkers indicates that the virus can be deadly for humans. He was interviewed about this topic by Het Parool:
What is the monkeypox-virus?
The monkeypox-virus is related to the 'smallpox virus' that has had unpleasant consequences for mankind in the past. People infected with the virus show flu-like symptoms and characteristic blisters on the skin. There are two variants of the monkey pox virus in West Africa and in Central Africa. The 'less dangerous' variant from West Africa has now been identified in humans.
How dangerous is the West Africa monkeypox-virus variant?
People can die from the monkeypox-virus, but it is difficult to say exactly how big the risk is. If we look at Africa in the 1980s, the death rate per 100 infections was three to five, according to scientific literature. However, it was not clear at the time exactly how many people were infected. Therefore, I expect the current death rate to be lower in reality. In addition, medical science has, of course, improved considerably since then.
How do you interpret the reported cases in Western countries?
It is a remarkable situation that creates fear and uncertainty. Twenty cases were reported in Portugal on Friday. This is an exceptional number. It is especially striking that there is no link with Africa in the current European cases. In recent years, there were incidental reports that did involve an African link.
How can the increase be explained?
This is not clear, it is not known whether and how the infections are related. One possibility is that the focus on viruses is so great because of the corona pandemic that infections with other viruses, such as the monkeypox-virus, are now more frequently detected. Another option is that, after the lockdowns, people go loose more often than before and infect each other. We need to investigate this as quickly and thoroughly as possible, because the increase is worrying.
How does someone become infected?
Presumably after contact with an infected human or animal. Monkeys can be carriers but also rodents like rats and mice. The virus is found in the blisters and can enter the human body through mucous membranes in, for example, the mouth or nose and through wounds. Human-to-human transmission is normally quite difficult. At the moment, the virus is seen more frequently in men who have sex with men.
At the time of publication of this article in Het Parool (20 May 2022), no Dutch infections had yet been identified. At this moment (May 25, 2022), the first 6 cases have been reported in the Netherlands (Source: RIVM).
Where in the Netherlands can infections be expected?
Difficult to say, given the characteristics it is wise to be careful in Amsterdam. This is already happening by organizations: the GDD in Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC and other hospitals are very vigilant.
Is there a treatment for monkey-pox?
Yes, cidofovir, but this is a fairly strong antiviral drug that is only given in hospitals. Interestingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US counterpart of the Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, reports that the existing smallpox vaccine reduces disease symptoms and mortality by about 85 per cent if administered within four days of infection. People who are still vaccinated with the smallpox vaccine are probably well protected against monkey-pox. In 1980, the world was declared smallpox-free. The Netherlands stopped vaccinating babies against smallpox in 1974.
Source: read the original (Dutch) article by Jop van Kempen here.