After San Francisco and the state of New York, the metropolis of New York has also declared a state of health emergency for monkeypox. It reports the Cnn. Half of the nearly 5,000 American cases are concentrated in the two metropolises.
According to Mayor Eric Adams, 150,000 people are at risk of contagion in New York. Two days ago it was the turn of the State of New York that had declared a state of alert immediately after San Francisco. California is the second most affected state in the US, with over 700 cases.
The city of New York has also sent a letter to the WHO asking to change the name of the disease to avoid stigmatization and discrimination against those who contract it.
First death in India
Meanwhile, India has recorded the first death from monkeypox. The news agency reports Bno News. The victim is a 22-year-old who tested positive in the United Arab Emirates before being repatriated to India, where he was hospitalized for encephalitis and exhaustion and then passed away. The Delhi government has set up a task force to keep the disease under control. To date, the country has registered four cases, three in Kerala, one in the capital. The head of the government-appointed team, Dr VK Paul, said there is no panic-inducing emergency and explained that the assignment is mostly about disease monitoring.
Where the vaccine is distributed
Countries such as the United States, Great Britain and France have started offering the vaccine to the most exposed categories (including healthcare professionals who care for patients).
The situation in Italy
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in Italy continues to rise, while only a few days ago the WHO declared the epidemic a global health emergency. In our country there are 479 official infected, according to the bulletin of the Ministry of Health updated two days ago, 53 more than the last survey of 26 July. Of these, 146 are the cases linked to trips abroad.
Arcigay “urges the Ministry of Health to proceed with a vaccination strategy”. In our country, explains Silvia Nozza, an infectious disease specialist at San Raffaele in Milan, “the vaccine was authorized last week”. The European Commission delivered the first 5,200 doses to us. “But they haven’t been distributed yet. There is also no indication of who can receive it and who should administer it ».
The only vaccine that can be used on a large scale is directed against human smallpox, but it is also 85% effective against that of monkeys. The only company in the world that produces it, the Danish Bavarian Nordic, has run two new production lines.
Symptoms
Symptoms of monkeypox, the ministry reports, usually include: fever, intense headache, body aches, back pain and asthenia. The most frequent signs are: swollen lymph nodes and skin rashes or lesions. The rash usually begins within three days of the fever onset. The lesions may be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, may crust, dry out, and fall off.
The rash tends to focus on the face, palms, and soles of the feet. It can also be found on the mouth, perigenital area and eyes. Symptoms typically last 2 to 4 weeks and go away on their own without treatment. The virus is transmitted through close contact with a symptomatic case.
The rash, body fluids (such as fluid, pus, or blood from skin lesions), and scabs are particularly infectious. Mouth ulcers, lesions, or sores can be infectious.
How it spreads
The virus can spread through saliva or through droplets (respiratory droplets) in case of prolonged face-to-face contact (health care workers, family members and other close contacts of confirmed cases at greater risk).
Monkeypox can also be transmitted by direct contact between lesions during sexual activities. Virus-contaminated clothing, bedding, towels, or dishes from an infected person can also infect other people. In order to protect themselves and others, the Circular of 25 May of the Ministry of Health provides that confirmed and suspected cases are put into self-isolation. Anyone with symptoms related to monkeypox should contact their doctor immediately.
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