The monkeypox virus is far more forgiving than the coronavirus, DhruvKhullar writes. But, if we don’t act swiftly, it may take hold permanently in any number of countries.
On May 12th, Nesli Basgoz, an infectious-disease doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, met a thirty-one-year-old patient with perplexing symptoms. After a trip to Canada, the man had noticed itchy bumps around his genitals; a few days later, he experienced fevers, swollen lymph nodes, and drenching sweats. He’d been sexually active during his trip, so Basgoz considered gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and H.I.V. None seemed to match his symptoms.
Her experience with monkeypox also illustrates the way that medical knowledge evolves. Monkeypox has traditionally been understood as a two-phase illness, in which, a week or two after exposure, a person develops flu-like symptoms and then a widespread rash; within a few weeks, the blisters usually crust over and heal, and the patient is no longer considered infectious. But the current outbreak has challenged medical textbooks.
The virus we call monkeypox was first identified in 1958 by Danish scientists studying primates in a lab, but “monkeypox” is a misnomer because monkeys are not its natural reservoir. The virus circulates primarily among rodents such as dormice, rope squirrels, and pouched rats.
The virus spreads principally through close contact with the skin, bedding, towels, or clothing of an infected person. This makes sex an especially efficient mode of transmission; the current outbreak has primarily afflicted men who have sex with men, but there’s little reason to believe that it won’t affect other groups.
But the supply of the Jynneos vaccine is limited. As of last week, the Department of Health and Human Services had distributed only arounddoses; the agency now says it has distributed a hundred thousand more. For now, public-health officials are generally recommending the vaccine only to people who’ve had a confirmed or suspected monkeypox exposure, or who have had multiple recent sexual partners in areas where the virus is spreading.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pinterest shares pop after report Elliott has acquired more than 9% stakeShares of Pinterest spiked in premarket trading Friday after a report that Elliott Management, which holds a more than 9% stake, is in talks with the company.
Read more »
Aston Martin sells £78m stake to Saudi Arabia investment fund | EvoAston Martin has sold a £78m stake to the Saudi Public Investment Fund as part of a £635 million investment drive.
Read more »
Pinterest stock pops 19% on activist investor increasing stake: reportPinterest Inc.'s stock undefined popped 19% in extended trading Thursday following a report that activist investor Elliott Management Corp. has built a stake...
Read more »
Richard Branson Takes a Stake in Lightyear, a Start-Up Hoping to Become Europe's Answer to RobinhoodLightyear, a stock trading app based in the U.K., has raised $25 million in fresh funding to expand its presence across Europe.
Read more »
NPR Cookie Consent and Choices
Read more »
Experts lament ‘race against time’ as monkeypox vaccine supplies dwindleToo few vaccine doses are making their way to clinics across the country, leaving America susceptible to yet another public health crisis even as it seeks to emerge from its worst pandemic in a cen…
Read more »