Mpox: Airborne Threat or Close Contact Concern?

Infectious disease experts stated that respiratory droplets might contribute to the spread of Mpox (), but not as effectively as COVID-19 or the flu.

Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions. The disease is currently seeing an outbreak in Africa with over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been reported, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a global health emergency. It majorly causes fevers, headaches, and muscle aches, as well as painful boils on the skin. It spreads from person to person through close, skin-to-skin contact.

Monkeypox
Monkeypox infection is a zoonotic viral infection that usually lasts for 3 weeks. It is caused by the monkeypox virus and is characterized by rash or pox-like symptoms.

‘Respiratory droplets and aerosols can transmit #monkeypox. The #CDC and #WHO recommend avoiding close contact to minimize your risk. #Mpox #publichealth’

Direct Contact Remains Primary Mode of Mpox Transmission

“This suggests that respiratory droplets might play a role in transmission. That being said, it’s considered to play a lesser role in transmission dynamics as compared to direct intimate contact and sexual contact which are the primary modes of transmission,” Dr. Dipu T S, Professor and Unit Chief, Infectious Diseases Department, Amrita Hospital, Kochi told IANS. A recent study published by the University of New South Wales in Australia showed that the current outbreak caused by the Clade 1 strain has reported 70 percent of cases and 88 percent of deaths in children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“The predominance of children in the DRC epidemic suggests transmission may be respiratory. In fact, smallpox and Mpox are respiratory viruses, and Mpox has been identified in ambient air,” the researchers noted. The study showed that the variola virus (smallpox) was highly airborne, “with the potential to transmit over long distances”.

Another study by a team of Spanish researchers in a 2023 study published in the journal The Lancet Microbe also showed that Mpox raised the risk of transmission indoors in poorly ventilated rooms. Referring to the US CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Lancelot Mark Pinto, Consultant Pulmonologist and Epidemiologist, P. D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, said that the keywords are “prolonged” and “face-to-face”.

Test Your Knowledge on Monkeypox
Introduction: Monkeypox is a rare viral infection caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family of smallpox. It typically occurs in central and western Africa. Sometimes, small clusters or isolated infections are ...

“Unlike highly transmissible airborne viruses such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2, Mpox isn’t likely to spread during casual short encounters,” Pinto told IANS. “Family transmission, sexual partner transmission, and caregiver transmission is much more likely, and therefore such encounters would need added protection,” he added.

The 2022-2023 global outbreak of Mpox was caused by a strain known as clade IIb. Since 2022, the WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to monkeypox from 116 countries. A total of 30 cases were detected in India, with the last case in March 2024.Global scientists claim that if the more pathogenic Clade I Mpox becomes highly transmissible between humans, it may pose a greater pandemic threat than Clade IIb.

Important Facts on Monkeypox
With the rapid increase in the 2022 outbreak of monkeypox cases, the following facts may help ease the alarming rates of misconceptions and concerns that have coursed among public.

However, Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, in a recent media briefing stated that Mpox, regardless of Clade IIb or Clade Ib, is not the new Covid, as speculated. He said health authorities know how to control its spread. Currently, there is no proven treatment against Mpox. Bavarian Nordic’s MVA-BN vaccine (Jynneos/Imvanex) -- approved in the US, Europe, and Canada -- is the leading Mpox vaccine worldwide.

In addition, KM Biologics’ LC16 vaccine is available in Japan and Emergent BioSolutions’ ACAM2000 is also under regulatory review for Mpox in the US. The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine maker, has also announced plans to develop a vaccine for Mpox. “Serum Institute of India is currently working on developing a vaccine for Mpox,” said CEO Adar Poonawalla, in a statement, adding that the company will share “positive news within a year’s time”.

South Korea Boosts Monkeypox Surveillance
Following the World Health Organization's declaration of mpox outbreaks in Africa as a global health emergency, South Korean authorities have decided to ramp up quarantine.

“To prevent the transmission of Mpox, the general public should avoid close contact with infected individuals, and practise good hygiene by regularly washing hands and disinfecting surfaces,” Dipu told IANS.

Reference:

How It Spreads | Mpox | Poxvirus - (https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/if-sick/transmission.html)

Source-IANS