Monkeypox Outbreak

nivek

As Above So Below
African scientists baffled by monkeypox cases in Europe, US

(Excerpts)

Scientists who have monitored numerous outbreaks of monkeypox in Africa say they are baffled by the disease's recent spread in Europe and North America.

Cases of the smallpox-related disease have previously been seen only among people with links to central and West Africa. But in the past week, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, U.S., Sweden and Canada all reported infections, mostly in young men who hadn’t previously traveled to Africa.

France, Germany, Belgium and Australia confirmed their first cases Friday.

“I’m stunned by this. Every day I wake up and there are more countries infected,” said Oyewale Tomori, a virologist who formerly headed the Nigerian Academy of Science and who sits on several World Health Organization advisory boards.

“This is not the kind of spread we’ve seen in West Africa, so there may be something new happening in the West,” he said.
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In Germany, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said the government was confident the outbreak could be contained. He said the virus was being sequenced to see if there were any genetic changes that might have made it more infectious.

Rolf Gustafson, an infectious diseases professor, told Swedish broadcaster SVT that it was “very difficult” to imagine the situation might worsen. “We will certainly find some further cases in Sweden, but I do not think there will be an epidemic in any way," Gustafson said. "There is nothing to suggest that at present.”

Scientists said that while it's possible the outbreak's first patient caught the disease while in Africa, what's happening now is exceptional.


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nivek

As Above So Below
Interestingly enough, no one has died from this pox virus yet...Are we going to find out two years later that this was yet another genetically altered virus that mysteriously escaped a lab like (cough)vid did?...

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nivek

As Above So Below
Is monkeypox the next big pandemic? Here's why it's not time to panic.

(Excerpt)

Although monkeypox and smallpox viruses are distinct, they are similar enough that the human smallpox vaccine (which uses a third poxvirus, called vaccinia) protects against infection from both.

Individuals who have been exposed to a person spreading monkeypox can be vaccinated after this exposure, and subsequently those who they’ve had contact with, in a process known as “ring vaccination.” This creates “rings” of immunity around each case, limiting the potential spread of the virus.

In the U.S., we stopped routinely vaccinating for smallpox in 1972, due to the risk of side effects that outweighed the risk of the virus. (America had not suffered a smallpox epidemic since 1949.)

The vaccine is still used in the military and by scientists conducting work with poxviruses. And we do maintain a stockpile of smallpox vaccine, so ring vaccination or, if needed, community-wide vaccination campaigns can be quickly implemented in the event of an exposure.


In addition to a solid vaccination strategy to control monkeypox spread, we also have some antiviral drugs that can help treat those who are already infected. Immune globulin can also be used against monkeypox, though its effectiveness is uncertain.

The current outbreaks are concerning, primarily because we rarely see extended chains of human-to-human spread of monkeypox. There are a lot of unknowns. Has the virus evolved, such that it more easily spreads between people, more like its smallpox cousin? Has the reduction of population-level immunity to poxviruses allowed for the emergence of monkeypox?

This is the first time in recent human history that such a large percentage of the population has lacked immunity to these viruses. For centuries, humans obtained immunity to smallpox via infection, inoculation or vaccination. Community vaccination ceased with the eradication of the virus in 1980, and there have been concerns that the cessation of routine smallpox vaccination may have enabled the emergence of monkeypox.

That bottom line is that it is unlikely the current outbreak heralds that emergence, but we should be vigilant, prepared, rapid and nimble in our response. The past two years have shown us that anything is possible.


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nivek

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Commenting on the statement below highlighted in bold; How does he know this monkeypox virus is mutating fast?...Where are the lab reports to confirm this?...This is quite a bold statement if there are no facts to back it up...

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'I feel like this is a virus we understand'

Biden administration health official Ashish Jha said Sunday he expects that monkeypox will not have widespread impact in the United States.

"I feel like this is a virus we understand," he said on ABC's "This Week."

Speaking to host Martha Raddatz, the White House coronavirus response coordinator said monkeypox is far different than coronavirus, since it is not something new and treatments already exist for it.

"We have vaccines against it," Jha said, "we have treatments against it. And it is spread very differently than SARS-CoV-2. It is not as contagious as Covid. So, I am confident we're going to be able to keep our arms around it."

But Jha did agree with President Joe Biden that the situation bears watching: "I think the president's right: Any time we have an infectious outbreak like this, we should all be paying attention."

Cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in recent days in a number of European countries, as well as the United States, Canada and Australia, suggesting that the disease might have become more transmissible than before. Monkeypox is related to smallpox, though less deadly.

Jha also spoke of the Biden administration's continued concern about Covid.

"What we know," Jha told Raddatz, "is that this virus is evolving very quickly and every iteration of it has more and more immune escape."

Jha said there are now a lot of tools that can be used to fight Covid, including vaccinations and therapies, but that different and better vaccines still need to be developed.

He added: "We also are planning for a variety of scenarios including a wave of infection this fall and winter and making sure that we have a new generation of vaccines that are being worked on right now, that we have availability of treatments and testing and we have the resources."

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nivek

As Above So Below
Commenting on the statement below highlighted in bold; How does he know this monkeypox virus is mutating fast?...Where are the lab reports to confirm this?...This is quite a bold statement if there are no facts to back it up...

...

'I feel like this is a virus we understand'

Biden administration health official Ashish Jha said Sunday he expects that monkeypox will not have widespread impact in the United States.

"I feel like this is a virus we understand," he said on ABC's "This Week."

Speaking to host Martha Raddatz, the White House coronavirus response coordinator said monkeypox is far different than coronavirus, since it is not something new and treatments already exist for it.

"We have vaccines against it," Jha said, "we have treatments against it. And it is spread very differently than SARS-CoV-2. It is not as contagious as Covid. So, I am confident we're going to be able to keep our arms around it."

But Jha did agree with President Joe Biden that the situation bears watching: "I think the president's right: Any time we have an infectious outbreak like this, we should all be paying attention."

Cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in recent days in a number of European countries, as well as the United States, Canada and Australia, suggesting that the disease might have become more transmissible than before. Monkeypox is related to smallpox, though less deadly.

Jha also spoke of the Biden administration's continued concern about Covid.

"What we know," Jha told Raddatz, "is that this virus is evolving very quickly and every iteration of it has more and more immune escape."

Jha said there are now a lot of tools that can be used to fight Covid, including vaccinations and therapies, but that different and better vaccines still need to be developed.

He added: "We also are planning for a variety of scenarios including a wave of infection this fall and winter and making sure that we have a new generation of vaccines that are being worked on right now, that we have availability of treatments and testing and we have the resources."

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Okay I read it wrong, still sleepy-eyed and drinking some coffee this morning lol...The article changed topics and he was talking about Covid mutating fast, not monkeypox...

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nivek

As Above So Below
Belgium become first country to introduce compulsory monkeypox quarantine: Anyone testing positive must isolate for 21 days as 14 countries now confirm outbreaks and doctors warn of 'significant rise' in UK cases

Those who contract the virus will now have to self-isolate for three weeks, Belgian health authorities have said, after three cases were recorded in the country. It comes as doctors have warned that the UK faces a 'significant' rise in infections and the government's response is 'critical' in containing its spread. Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, has also said the outbreak could have a 'massive impact' on access to sexual health services in Britain. It comes as Sajid Javid yesterday revealed another 11 Britons had tested positive for the virus, taking the total to 20. The cases include a British child currently in a critical condition at a London hospital, while a further 100 infections have been recorded in Europe.

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nivek

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nivek

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nivek

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nivek

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It is interesting to note, even if coincidental, seems monkeypox is spreading in countries that were heavily vaccinated with mRNA Covid vaccines...If there is a connection it will be revealed in time...

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nivek

As Above So Below
SIGA Technologies & Bavarian Nordic have official contracts with first world nations like the US and undisclosed Europeans for Monkey Pox vaccine production as of May 12th, just days before outbreak began.

 

nivek

As Above So Below
Israel, Switzerland and Austria confirm cases

Israel, Switzerland and Austria are the latest countries to confirm cases of monkeypox, bringing the total number of nations reporting outbreaks to 15.

Israel and Switzerland both said they identified one infected person who had recently travelled abroad. Israel is investigating other suspected cases. Monkeypox does not tend to spread easily between people and the illness is usually mild. The virus is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa.

More than 80 cases have been confirmed in the recent outbreak in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia. This outbreak has taken scientists by surprise, but the risk to the wider public is said to be low. Most people who catch the virus recover within a few weeks, according to the UK's National Health Service.


(More on the link)

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nivek

As Above So Below
I'd like to see some verification of this claim...

Has monkeypox EVOLVED to be more contagious? Virologists claim 'hyper-mutated' strain sweeping the world has 'far more' quirks than expected - and say every case could be traced back to ONE super-spreader event

Monkeypox has evolved 'far more' than expected, scientists have warned as the virus usually only seen in Africa continues to sweep the world.

Seventeen countries have now detected the virus this month in an unprecedented global outbreak, sparking concerns it may have learned to spread easier among humans.

Portuguese virologists, tasked with conducting Covid-like studies to trace the virus's evolution, claim the strain currently circulating is very similar to one that cropped up in Britain four years ago.

But samples taken from a handful of patients struck down in the fresh outbreak suggest the virus has collated an extra 50 mutations.

Researchers wrote that this was 'far more than one would expect considering the estimated substitution rate for orthopoxviruses'. They also warned that an 'evolutionary jump' — like with the Covid Omicron strain — may have created a 'hyper-mutated virus'.

The manufacturer of the smallpox vaccine, which is also effective against monkeypox, last year warned outbreaks were becoming more frequent, possibly due to a rise in human-to-human transmission.

However, experts are still analysing the monkeypox genome and the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday said there is no sign that the virus has mutated.


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nivek

As Above So Below
America's monkeypox tally rises to seven presumptive cases: Man in Washington tests positive after returning from abroad and second Floridian is suspected of catching the rare viral disease

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nivek

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China prepares to cash in on monkeypox: Companies have already developed test kits and hope to have vaccine within a year - after many profited from Covid

Chinese companies are already preparing to cash in on monkeypox by developing test kits and vaccines, after profiting hugely from the Covid pandemic.

Several laboratories have started making nucleic acid test kits for the virus which is spreading around the world with more than 200 confirmed cases.

China has not yet recorded any infections but their experts believe a vaccine could be developed within a year.

The country's state-run newspaper Global Times said: 'Several Chinese test kit makers reached by the Global Times on Monday said they have developed nucleic acid test kits for monkeypox, which can be quickly put into mass production and on the domestic market once approved by the government.

'Meanwhile, experts pointed out that there are no technological problems in developing a vaccine against monkeypox and a rapid special review by China's drug administration could help the country develop the vaccine in roughly a year.'

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nivek

As Above So Below
In 1987, The London Times, one of the world's most respected newspapers, published a front-page story entitled: Smallpox vaccine triggered AIDS virus. This story is one of the most important ever printed on AIDS epidemic; yet it was killed & never appeared in any major US/EU newspaper or magazine.

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nivek

As Above So Below
It does cover the body in lesions which are permanently scarring.

I found out recently that I had chickenpox when I was very young, I don't remember experiencing that, however when I was speaking to my mother yesterday, she told me...She said I broke out with those lesions all over my body, I was 7 years old at that time...There are no visible unsightly scars from that but perhaps it was because of my age at the time and being very young the lesions healed up better than it would for older people...She also mentioned I had the smallpox vaccine which I already was aware of that...She said that smallpox vaccination took place a few years after the chickenpox infection...

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AD1184

Celestial
In 1987, The London Times, one of the world's most respected newspapers, published a front-page story entitled: Smallpox vaccine triggered AIDS virus. This story is one of the most important ever printed on AIDS epidemic; yet it was killed & never appeared in any major US/EU newspaper or magazine.

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If this article is so important, what is the main thrust of the article? Who is quoted in its headline as saying that the smallpox vaccine triggered the AIDs virus, and what is their thesis as to how that happened? I think little was known about the origins of the AIDs virus in 1987, it having been discovered only at the beginning of that decade. It is thought that it made the jump to humans in Cameroon in the first half of the twentieth century, having originated with simian immuno-deficiency virus among apes. The WHO's global smallpox eradication programme began in 1967, and was completed by 1977.
 
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