Xinhua news agency, Sydney, May 23 (reporter Hao Yalin) - the health department of New South Wales, Australia, confirmed the first case of monkeypox in Australia on the 20th. Many experts in Australia said that although the spread of monkeypox needs to be closely monitored, there is no need to panic. Different from the novel coronavirus, people have more knowledge about monkeypox, smallpox and other pox viruses, and can quickly take measures to block the transmission.
What is monkeypox
Soresh Mahalingam, a professor at Griffith University in Australia, said monkeypox is a self limiting disease, and most people recover within 2 to 3 weeks after symptoms appear. However, monkeypox infection has a greater risk for pregnant women, because pregnant women's infection may affect fetal development.
According to Sanjia sennarayak, an infectious disease scientist at the Australian National University, the monkeypox virus found in Europe is relatively mild. After an incubation period of 7 to 17 days, monkeypox patients will develop flu like symptoms and rash after a high fever for a few days. This rash is widespread and lasts up to 4 weeks. Patients may also have symptoms such as pneumonia and diarrhea, but the mortality is very low.
Is monkeypox dangerous
Fasley kulibali, an associate professor of molecular biology at Monash University in Australia, said that relevant departments need to closely monitor the spread of monkeypox, but there is no need to panic. On the one hand, the transmission capacity of these viruses is not as strong as that of respiratory viruses such as novel coronavirus and influenza virus. On the other hand, humans are no stranger to monkeypox virus. In the 1970s, it was known that it would infect humans, and people knew how to fight closely related viruses, such as smallpox virus.
Kulibali believes that although poxvirus is good at breaking through the host's defense system, it is like an "elephant in the virus world". Its structure and replication ability make it easier to be "targeted". Human beings have found the weakness of this virus through decades of basic research and are fully prepared for possible threats. Humans have developed drugs and a new generation of vaccines against smallpox virus, which also provides a choice to deal with monkeypox.
Possible measures
David chark, a professor at the Australian National University, said this time was somewhat unusual because there was no link between most monkeypox cases, which meant that vigilance was needed around the world. However, different from the COVID-19, people have more knowledge about poxvirus and can quickly take measures to block the transmission. Monkeypox virus belongs to a broader virus family, which also includes smallpox virus. Smallpox vaccine can be used to prevent monkeypox. Studies have shown that monkeypox vaccine is still effective after monkeypox vaccination.
Reina McIntyre, an infectious disease scientist at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said her research showed that the decline in the immune protection ability of smallpox vaccine may be the reason for the intensification of monkeypox epidemic because it has been 40 to 50 years since the mass suspension of smallpox vaccine. She suggested that relevant departments identify the contacts of monkeypox patients and vaccinate them to prevent monkeypox.
Sennarayak pointed out that smallpox vaccine can provide cross protection, but it is uncertain how immune people who were vaccinated against smallpox decades ago will be to monkeypox. Some antiviral drugs can be used to treat monkeypox.