Worries Rise That Monkeypox Has Been Evolving Fast
Media outlets report on concerns in the scientific community that monkeypox has been evolving faster than may have been expected and is now more infectious. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization held back from calling the outbreak a global health emergency, even though reports note it's spreading.
Live Science:
Monkeypox May Have Undergone 'Accelerated Evolution,' Scientists Say
The monkeypox virus has mutated at a far faster rate than would normally be expected and likely underwent a period of "accelerated evolution," a new study suggests. The virus, which has infected more than 3,500 people in 48 countries since its detection outside Africa in May, may be more infectious due to dozens of new mutations. In all, the virus carries 50 new mutations not seen in previous strains detected from 2018 to 2019, according to a new study published June 24 in the journal Nature Medicine(opens in new tab). Scientists usually don't expect viruses like monkeypox to gain more than one or two mutations each year, the study authors noted. (Turner, 6/25)
CIDRAP:
Virus Causing Monkeypox Outbreak Has Mutated To Spread Easier
The authors said the outbreak was likely not caused by undetected silent spread, or from an animal-to-human crossover event. Instead, "Current data points for a scenario of more than one introduction from a single origin, with superspreader event(s) (e.g., saunas used for sexual encounters) and travel abroad likely triggering the rapid worldwide dissemination." (Soucheray, 6/24)
Also —
Stat:
WHO: Monkeypox Outbreak Not Yet A Global Health Emergency
The World Health Organization on Saturday declined to declare the unprecedented monkeypox outbreak that has spread around the world a public health emergency as of now. A public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, grants the WHO director-general certain powers, such as the ability to recommend how countries should respond. While it’s a legal lever the agency can use, it’s also a tool that can grab public attention and steer it to try to address burgeoning health threats. Such a declaration could further rally donors and member countries to increase funding. (Joseph, 6/25)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Monkeypox At ‘Critical Stage’ In The Bay Area: Here’s What You Need To Know
There are only a handful of confirmed monkeypox cases in the Bay Area, but following the lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic, local health officials are scrambling to control the rapidly growing global outbreak. With 48 cases counted in California since early May, the state represents almost 28% of the total to date in the United States. Local health officials are advising Bay Area residents and their health care providers to look out for symptoms of monkeypox ahead of summer travel and other festivities, given that most of the cases identified so far are associated with possible sexual transmission. (Vaziri, 6/24)
Houston Chronicle:
Monkeypox In Houston: Third Case Of Rare Infection Confirmed
The area’s third case of the monkeypox infection has been confirmed. The Houston Health Department said Saturday that the rare sickness – which does not spread easily without close skin-to-skin contact – is not connected to any of the city’s previous two cases. The affected person developed symptoms after returning from travel, did not require hospitalization and is isolating at home, the health department said. (Downen, 6/25)
The Courier-Journal:
What To Know About Monkeypox Now That Kentucky Has A Probable Case
On Friday, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services reported the first probable case on monkeypox in Kentucky. The patient, whose gender and age have not been made public, is a Jefferson County resident who is isolated while confirmation testing takes place at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Ladd, 6/27)
Daily Beast:
The Monkeypox Crisis Is Secretly Spiraling In Virus Epicenter Of Nigeria
Unlike in the West, the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria, where the illness is endemic, didn’t begin this year. It started in 2017. Between then and now, there have been more than 650 suspected cases with over 260 confirmed, one-seventh of which were recorded in the first half of this year. But government records in Nigeria, where monkeypox cases are on the rise, don’t tell the true story of the disease that has spiked in Europe and the United States. (Obaji Jr., 6/27)
