Search for the word “monkeypox” on social media and these are the kinds of questions you’ll find online. Several months after the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and TikTok are full of sensational posts about how this virus is transmitted, fueling possible fears that humans can contract it in their daily lives. even though the data overwhelmingly points to sex between men as the main driver of global transmission. An analysis of monkeypox-related posts on Twitter, which was published in June as a letter to the editor in the Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, found that more than half of the publications contained misinformation or unverifiable details. “There’s a big difference between what’s possible and what’s possible and what’s actually happening,” said Len Tooley, director of evaluation at the Community-Based Research Center, a queer health policy organization, and one of the first people. to catch smallpox in Toronto. “What we’re actually seeing happen is that it’s mostly gay and bi men who get monkey pox. Most of them get it sexually…so if you don’t fit into one of those two categories, you probably don’t have much to worry about.” .” WATCHES | WHO warns of misinformation about monkeypox virus:
Sorting fact from fiction on how monkeypox is spread
The World Health Organization says monkeypox is spreading rapidly with no signs of slowing down. But also the misinformation about the virus. Here’s what you need to know about monkeypox transmission. While there are still key unanswered questions about the exact ways this virus spreads between hosts, the data shows that The bulk of infections remain among men who have sex with men — making it vital, scientists say, to prioritize limited vaccines and support for gay, bisexual and transgender people who are at the highest risk of contracting an often painful disease that lasts for weeks. “We know that sexual transmission among men who have sex with men is an important mechanism of spread and a major contributor to the ongoing epidemic,” said physician and researcher Dr. Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor at Emory University in Atlanta. “Having said that, it’s not the only method of transmission.” So here’s what researchers around the world know – and don’t know – about how this virus is transmitted.
How much is monkeypox transmitted through sex?
Before this year’s global outbreak, scientists typically believed that monkeypox virus, or MPXV, reached humans primarily through contact with infected animals, leading to household transmission and limited outbreaks in areas of West and Central Africa where this pathogen is endemic. But Titanji said there were indications that MPXV was also spreading through sexual networks Nigerian scientists sound the alarm during a nationwide outbreak in 2017 which greatly affected sexually active young men, often causing damage to the genitals. “So it’s possible that monkeypox is also sexually transmitted and has flown under the radar and found its way into very densely connected sexual networks that allowed it to amplify,” Titanji said. In Canada, the disease is mainly refers to men who have sex with menand 99 percent of infected individuals identified as male, with a median age of 36. Among U.S. smallpox cases with available data99 percent also occurred in men, including 94 percent who reported recent male-to-male sexual or intimate contact. WATCHES | Smallpox cases are on the rise in Canada:
Monkeypox cases continue to rise in Canada
As cases of monkeypox climb in Canada, there are growing concerns that the vaccine is not widely available and time may be running out to contain the spread. European-wide data also show that cases remain mainly among men who have sex with men aged 18 to 50. According to the latest risk assessment of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Controlthe potential for further spread of MPXV in networks of people with multiple sexual partners is “considered high”, while the potential for it to spread to the wider population is “considered very low”. Understanding these patterns of transmission is key to knowing where to direct limited supplies, including vaccines, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Agency. “It makes a lot of sense to distribute this vaccine to the people who are at the highest risk,” he said. “People who are men who have sex with men, people who have had multiple partners, people who have had sex recently.”
So it only spreads through skin contact? Or body fluids?
Regarding transmission through sex, what is less clear is whether it is primarily associated with skin-to-skin contact or whether bodily fluids also play an important role.
“One of the unknowns is to what extent — and for how long — this can be transmitted through semen,” said Toronto-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch.
As Ontario Public Health noted in an August evidence briefthere is still no clear evidence for genital secretions as a “separate route of transmission” alongside direct, intimate contact.
Several recent case studies analyzing human semen during active infections have reported finding monkeypox DNA, which has also been detected in other bodily fluids.
Other research shows that people can carry the virus without showing obvious symptoms, such as telltale physical or genital lesions. A recent study conducted in France, found that 13 out of 200 people tested positive for MPXV when a rectal swab was performed to look for other possible infections — even though they were asymptomatic.
“Whether this indicates shedding of virus that may lead to transmission is unknown,” the researchers wrote.
WATCHES | What it’s like to recover from monkey pox:
What it’s like to recover from monkey pox
A Toronto resident shares his experience recovering from monkeypox, while officials and advocates say more support is needed for patients during the long weeks of isolation.
Can you catch this virus from surfaces, bedding or clothing?
Monkeypox has the ability to linger on infected items such as an infected person’s clothing or bedding. But that doesn’t necessarily mean someone else will catch it. In one study, researchers found live virus 15 days after a patient’s home was left unoccupied, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in mid-July. Studies also show that other closely related viruses can survive in an environment similar to a household for weeks or months, the CDC statement continued, with porous items such as bedding and clothing potentially harboring live virus for longer periods than non-porous surfaces. such as glass or metal. So, theoretically, this virus can be transmitted by touching various objects or through close, non-sexual contact. There are specific examples of household transmission to children and possibly pets, incl a case study in France where two men who caught MPXV may have passed it on to their dog, who was sleeping in their bed. WATCHES | WHO comments on the report of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox:
WHO expert comments on first report of dog with monkeypox
The World Health Organization says it is very important to isolate pets from a person in the household with the disease to prevent the spread. A dog in Paris is believed to be the first case of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox. But if this virus was easily transmitted through surface-based transmission, “we would have seen a much larger outbreak a long time ago,” Bogoch said. “I think it’s completely overkill that we have to worry about touching an inanimate object like a doorknob going into a place, a scooter, or washing every item we get from the grocery store,” he said. “I think it’s obviously premature.” Dr. Zane Chagla, an infectious disease expert at McMaster University in Hamilton, agreed that global case data during this monkeypox outbreak show that infections don’t usually “appear out of the blue.” “And the few that are, don’t really lead to sustained transmission,” he said. Still, Chagla said some precautions are worth taking, especially in health care settings and households where a family member has an active infection. If anyone in a house has smallpox, suggests the CDC cleaning and disinfecting the entire area and putting all contaminated clothes and linens in the washing machine — and if the person doing this work is not the one who is infected, they should at least wear disposable medical gloves and a respirator or well mask application.
What about transmission through the air?
Like many other common viruses, including those that cause influenza and COVID-19, MPXV can spread through the air and infect other people — although many scientists don’t yet see evidence that it’s a major route of transmission. “You can still be transmitted through droplets and aerosols,” Titanji said, referring to increasingly smaller particle sizes that people can breathe or inhale. “But the last two modes of transmission I just mentioned seem to be less common than the dominant mode of sexual transmission.” The World Health Organization supports that transmission via respiratory particles “usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact,” which puts healthcare workers, household members and other close contacts of active cases at greater risk of infection. “If people got monkeypox … by inhaling it and inhaling it, then we would see a lot of people who are not men who have sex with men getting monkeypox,” Rasmussen said. As for the misinformation circulating online implying that the general public can easily contract this virus, Tooley said some of it may come from a place of stigma or just fear. “I hope all those people who are afraid…
title: “Misinformation About Monkeypox Is Spreading Fast. See What Scientists Know About How The Virus Spreads Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-28” author: “Michael Head”
Search for the word “monkeypox” on social media and these are the kinds of questions you’ll find online. Several months after the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and TikTok are full of sensational posts about how this virus is transmitted, fueling possible fears that humans can contract it in their daily lives. even though the data overwhelmingly points to sex between men as the main driver of global transmission. An analysis of monkeypox-related posts on Twitter, which was published in June as a letter to the editor in the Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, found that more than half of the publications contained misinformation or unverifiable details. “There’s a big difference between what’s possible and what’s possible and what’s actually happening,” said Len Tooley, director of evaluation at the Community-Based Research Center, a queer health policy organization, and one of the first people. to catch smallpox in Toronto. “What we’re actually seeing happen is that it’s mostly gay and bi men who get monkey pox. Most of them get it sexually…so if you don’t fit into one of those two categories, you probably don’t have much to worry about.” .” WATCHES | WHO warns of misinformation about monkeypox virus:
Sorting fact from fiction on how monkeypox is spread
The World Health Organization says monkeypox is spreading rapidly with no signs of slowing down. But also the misinformation about the virus. Here’s what you need to know about monkeypox transmission. While there are still key unanswered questions about the exact ways this virus spreads between hosts, the data shows that The bulk of infections remain among men who have sex with men — making it vital, scientists say, to prioritize limited vaccines and support for gay, bisexual and transgender people who are at the highest risk of contracting an often painful disease that lasts for weeks. “We know that sexual transmission among men who have sex with men is an important mechanism of spread and a major contributor to the ongoing epidemic,” said physician and researcher Dr. Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor at Emory University in Atlanta. “Having said that, it’s not the only method of transmission.” So here’s what researchers around the world know – and don’t know – about how this virus is transmitted.
How much is monkeypox transmitted through sex?
Before this year’s global outbreak, scientists typically believed that monkeypox virus, or MPXV, reached humans primarily through contact with infected animals, leading to household transmission and limited outbreaks in areas of West and Central Africa where this pathogen is endemic. But Titanji said there were indications that MPXV was also spreading through sexual networks Nigerian scientists sound the alarm during a nationwide outbreak in 2017 which greatly affected sexually active young men, often causing damage to the genitals. “So it’s possible that monkeypox is also sexually transmitted and has flown under the radar and found its way into very densely connected sexual networks that allowed it to amplify,” Titanji said. In Canada, the disease is mainly refers to men who have sex with menand 99 percent of infected individuals identified as male, with a median age of 36. Among U.S. smallpox cases with available data99 percent also occurred in men, including 94 percent who reported recent male-to-male sexual or intimate contact. WATCHES | Smallpox cases are on the rise in Canada:
Monkeypox cases continue to rise in Canada
As cases of monkeypox climb in Canada, there are growing concerns that the vaccine is not widely available and time may be running out to contain the spread. European-wide data also show that cases remain mainly among men who have sex with men aged 18 to 50. According to the latest risk assessment of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Controlthe potential for further spread of MPXV in networks of people with multiple sexual partners is “considered high”, while the potential for it to spread to the wider population is “considered very low”. Understanding these patterns of transmission is key to knowing where to direct limited supplies, including vaccines, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Agency. “It makes a lot of sense to distribute this vaccine to the people who are at the highest risk,” he said. “People who are men who have sex with men, people who have had multiple partners, people who have had sex recently.”
So it only spreads through skin contact? Or body fluids?
Regarding transmission through sex, what is less clear is whether it is primarily associated with skin-to-skin contact or whether bodily fluids also play an important role.
“One of the unknowns is to what extent — and for how long — this can be transmitted through semen,” said Toronto-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch.
As Ontario Public Health noted in an August evidence briefthere is still no clear evidence for genital secretions as a “separate route of transmission” alongside direct, intimate contact.
Several recent case studies analyzing human semen during active infections have reported finding monkeypox DNA, which has also been detected in other bodily fluids.
Other research shows that people can carry the virus without showing obvious symptoms, such as telltale physical or genital lesions. A recent study conducted in France, found that 13 out of 200 people tested positive for MPXV when a rectal swab was performed to look for other possible infections — even though they were asymptomatic.
“Whether this indicates shedding of virus that may lead to transmission is unknown,” the researchers wrote.
WATCHES | What it’s like to recover from monkey pox:
What it’s like to recover from monkey pox
A Toronto resident shares his experience recovering from monkeypox, while officials and advocates say more support is needed for patients during the long weeks of isolation.
Can you catch this virus from surfaces, bedding or clothing?
Monkeypox has the ability to linger on infected items such as an infected person’s clothing or bedding. But that doesn’t necessarily mean someone else will catch it. In one study, researchers found live virus 15 days after a patient’s home was left unoccupied, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in mid-July. Studies also show that other closely related viruses can survive in an environment similar to a household for weeks or months, the CDC statement continued, with porous items such as bedding and clothing potentially harboring live virus for longer periods than non-porous surfaces. such as glass or metal. So, theoretically, this virus can be transmitted by touching various objects or through close, non-sexual contact. There are specific examples of household transmission to children and possibly pets, incl a case study in France where two men who caught MPXV may have passed it on to their dog, who was sleeping in their bed. WATCHES | WHO comments on the report of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox:
WHO expert comments on first report of dog with monkeypox
The World Health Organization says it is very important to isolate pets from a person in the household with the disease to prevent the spread. A dog in Paris is believed to be the first case of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox. But if this virus was easily transmitted through surface-based transmission, “we would have seen a much larger outbreak a long time ago,” Bogoch said. “I think it’s completely overkill that we have to worry about touching an inanimate object like a doorknob going into a place, a scooter, or washing every item we get from the grocery store,” he said. “I think it’s obviously premature.” Dr. Zane Chagla, an infectious disease expert at McMaster University in Hamilton, agreed that global case data during this monkeypox outbreak show that infections don’t usually “appear out of the blue.” “And the few that are, don’t really lead to sustained transmission,” he said. Still, Chagla said some precautions are worth taking, especially in health care settings and households where a family member has an active infection. If anyone in a house has smallpox, suggests the CDC cleaning and disinfecting the entire area and putting all contaminated clothes and linens in the washing machine — and if the person doing this work is not the one who is infected, they should at least wear disposable medical gloves and a respirator or well mask application.
What about transmission through the air?
Like many other common viruses, including those that cause influenza and COVID-19, MPXV can spread through the air and infect other people — although many scientists don’t yet see evidence that it’s a major route of transmission. “You can still be transmitted through droplets and aerosols,” Titanji said, referring to increasingly smaller particle sizes that people can breathe or inhale. “But the last two modes of transmission I just mentioned seem to be less common than the dominant mode of sexual transmission.” The World Health Organization supports that transmission via respiratory particles “usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact,” which puts healthcare workers, household members and other close contacts of active cases at greater risk of infection. “If people got monkeypox … by inhaling it and inhaling it, then we would see a lot of people who are not men who have sex with men getting monkeypox,” Rasmussen said. As for the misinformation circulating online implying that the general public can easily contract this virus, Tooley said some of it may come from a place of stigma or just fear. “I hope all those people who are afraid…
title: “Misinformation About Monkeypox Is Spreading Fast. See What Scientists Know About How The Virus Spreads Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “James Crawford”
Search for the word “monkeypox” on social media and these are the kinds of questions you’ll find online. Several months after the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and TikTok are full of sensational posts about how this virus is transmitted, fueling possible fears that humans can contract it in their daily lives. even though the data overwhelmingly points to sex between men as the main driver of global transmission. An analysis of monkeypox-related posts on Twitter, which was published in June as a letter to the editor in the Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, found that more than half of the publications contained misinformation or unverifiable details. “There’s a big difference between what’s possible and what’s possible and what’s actually happening,” said Len Tooley, director of evaluation at the Community-Based Research Center, a queer health policy organization, and one of the first people. to catch smallpox in Toronto. “What we’re actually seeing happen is that it’s mostly gay and bi men who get monkey pox. Most of them get it sexually…so if you don’t fit into one of those two categories, you probably don’t have much to worry about.” .” WATCHES | WHO warns of misinformation about monkeypox virus:
Sorting fact from fiction on how monkeypox is spread
The World Health Organization says monkeypox is spreading rapidly with no signs of slowing down. But also the misinformation about the virus. Here’s what you need to know about monkeypox transmission. While there are still key unanswered questions about the exact ways this virus spreads between hosts, the data shows that The bulk of infections remain among men who have sex with men — making it vital, scientists say, to prioritize limited vaccines and support for gay, bisexual and transgender people who are at the highest risk of contracting an often painful disease that lasts for weeks. “We know that sexual transmission among men who have sex with men is an important mechanism of spread and a major contributor to the ongoing epidemic,” said physician and researcher Dr. Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor at Emory University in Atlanta. “Having said that, it’s not the only method of transmission.” So here’s what researchers around the world know – and don’t know – about how this virus is transmitted.
How much is monkeypox transmitted through sex?
Before this year’s global outbreak, scientists typically believed that monkeypox virus, or MPXV, reached humans primarily through contact with infected animals, leading to household transmission and limited outbreaks in areas of West and Central Africa where this pathogen is endemic. But Titanji said there were indications that MPXV was also spreading through sexual networks Nigerian scientists sound the alarm during a nationwide outbreak in 2017 which greatly affected sexually active young men, often causing damage to the genitals. “So it’s possible that monkeypox is also sexually transmitted and has flown under the radar and found its way into very densely connected sexual networks that allowed it to amplify,” Titanji said. In Canada, the disease is mainly refers to men who have sex with menand 99 percent of infected individuals identified as male, with a median age of 36. Among U.S. smallpox cases with available data99 percent also occurred in men, including 94 percent who reported recent male-to-male sexual or intimate contact. WATCHES | Smallpox cases are on the rise in Canada:
Monkeypox cases continue to rise in Canada
As cases of monkeypox climb in Canada, there are growing concerns that the vaccine is not widely available and time may be running out to contain the spread. European-wide data also show that cases remain mainly among men who have sex with men aged 18 to 50. According to the latest risk assessment of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Controlthe potential for further spread of MPXV in networks of people with multiple sexual partners is “considered high”, while the potential for it to spread to the wider population is “considered very low”. Understanding these patterns of transmission is key to knowing where to direct limited supplies, including vaccines, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Agency. “It makes a lot of sense to distribute this vaccine to the people who are at the highest risk,” he said. “People who are men who have sex with men, people who have had multiple partners, people who have had sex recently.”
So it only spreads through skin contact? Or body fluids?
Regarding transmission through sex, what is less clear is whether it is primarily associated with skin-to-skin contact or whether bodily fluids also play an important role.
“One of the unknowns is to what extent — and for how long — this can be transmitted through semen,” said Toronto-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch.
As Ontario Public Health noted in an August evidence briefthere is still no clear evidence for genital secretions as a “separate route of transmission” alongside direct, intimate contact.
Several recent case studies analyzing human semen during active infections have reported finding monkeypox DNA, which has also been detected in other bodily fluids.
Other research shows that people can carry the virus without showing obvious symptoms, such as telltale physical or genital lesions. A recent study conducted in France, found that 13 out of 200 people tested positive for MPXV when a rectal swab was performed to look for other possible infections — even though they were asymptomatic.
“Whether this indicates shedding of virus that may lead to transmission is unknown,” the researchers wrote.
WATCHES | What it’s like to recover from monkey pox:
What it’s like to recover from monkey pox
A Toronto resident shares his experience recovering from monkeypox, while officials and advocates say more support is needed for patients during the long weeks of isolation.
Can you catch this virus from surfaces, bedding or clothing?
Monkeypox has the ability to linger on infected items such as an infected person’s clothing or bedding. But that doesn’t necessarily mean someone else will catch it. In one study, researchers found live virus 15 days after a patient’s home was left unoccupied, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in mid-July. Studies also show that other closely related viruses can survive in an environment similar to a household for weeks or months, the CDC statement continued, with porous items such as bedding and clothing potentially harboring live virus for longer periods than non-porous surfaces. such as glass or metal. So, theoretically, this virus can be transmitted by touching various objects or through close, non-sexual contact. There are specific examples of household transmission to children and possibly pets, incl a case study in France where two men who caught MPXV may have passed it on to their dog, who was sleeping in their bed. WATCHES | WHO comments on the report of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox:
WHO expert comments on first report of dog with monkeypox
The World Health Organization says it is very important to isolate pets from a person in the household with the disease to prevent the spread. A dog in Paris is believed to be the first case of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox. But if this virus was easily transmitted through surface-based transmission, “we would have seen a much larger outbreak a long time ago,” Bogoch said. “I think it’s completely overkill that we have to worry about touching an inanimate object like a doorknob going into a place, a scooter, or washing every item we get from the grocery store,” he said. “I think it’s obviously premature.” Dr. Zane Chagla, an infectious disease expert at McMaster University in Hamilton, agreed that global case data during this monkeypox outbreak show that infections don’t usually “appear out of the blue.” “And the few that are, don’t really lead to sustained transmission,” he said. Still, Chagla said some precautions are worth taking, especially in health care settings and households where a family member has an active infection. If anyone in a house has smallpox, suggests the CDC cleaning and disinfecting the entire area and putting all contaminated clothes and linens in the washing machine — and if the person doing this work is not the one who is infected, they should at least wear disposable medical gloves and a respirator or well mask application.
What about transmission through the air?
Like many other common viruses, including those that cause influenza and COVID-19, MPXV can spread through the air and infect other people — although many scientists don’t yet see evidence that it’s a major route of transmission. “You can still be transmitted through droplets and aerosols,” Titanji said, referring to increasingly smaller particle sizes that people can breathe or inhale. “But the last two modes of transmission I just mentioned seem to be less common than the dominant mode of sexual transmission.” The World Health Organization supports that transmission via respiratory particles “usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact,” which puts healthcare workers, household members and other close contacts of active cases at greater risk of infection. “If people got monkeypox … by inhaling it and inhaling it, then we would see a lot of people who are not men who have sex with men getting monkeypox,” Rasmussen said. As for the misinformation circulating online implying that the general public can easily contract this virus, Tooley said some of it may come from a place of stigma or just fear. “I hope all those people who are afraid…
title: “Misinformation About Monkeypox Is Spreading Fast. See What Scientists Know About How The Virus Spreads Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-15” author: “Tracy Israel”
Search for the word “monkeypox” on social media and these are the kinds of questions you’ll find online. Several months after the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and TikTok are full of sensational posts about how this virus is transmitted, fueling possible fears that humans can contract it in their daily lives. even though the data overwhelmingly points to sex between men as the main driver of global transmission. An analysis of monkeypox-related posts on Twitter, which was published in June as a letter to the editor in the Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, found that more than half of the publications contained misinformation or unverifiable details. “There’s a big difference between what’s possible and what’s possible and what’s actually happening,” said Len Tooley, director of evaluation at the Community-Based Research Center, a queer health policy organization, and one of the first people. to catch smallpox in Toronto. “What we’re actually seeing happen is that it’s mostly gay and bi men who get monkey pox. Most of them get it sexually…so if you don’t fit into one of those two categories, you probably don’t have much to worry about.” .” WATCHES | WHO warns of misinformation about monkeypox virus:
Sorting fact from fiction on how monkeypox is spread
The World Health Organization says monkeypox is spreading rapidly with no signs of slowing down. But also the misinformation about the virus. Here’s what you need to know about monkeypox transmission. While there are still key unanswered questions about the exact ways this virus spreads between hosts, the data shows that The bulk of infections remain among men who have sex with men — making it vital, scientists say, to prioritize limited vaccines and support for gay, bisexual and transgender people who are at the highest risk of contracting an often painful disease that lasts for weeks. “We know that sexual transmission among men who have sex with men is an important mechanism of spread and a major contributor to the ongoing epidemic,” said physician and researcher Dr. Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor at Emory University in Atlanta. “Having said that, it’s not the only method of transmission.” So here’s what researchers around the world know – and don’t know – about how this virus is transmitted.
How much is monkeypox transmitted through sex?
Before this year’s global outbreak, scientists typically believed that monkeypox virus, or MPXV, reached humans primarily through contact with infected animals, leading to household transmission and limited outbreaks in areas of West and Central Africa where this pathogen is endemic. But Titanji said there were indications that MPXV was also spreading through sexual networks Nigerian scientists sound the alarm during a nationwide outbreak in 2017 which greatly affected sexually active young men, often causing damage to the genitals. “So it’s possible that monkeypox is also sexually transmitted and has flown under the radar and found its way into very densely connected sexual networks that allowed it to amplify,” Titanji said. In Canada, the disease is mainly refers to men who have sex with menand 99 percent of infected individuals identified as male, with a median age of 36. Among U.S. smallpox cases with available data99 percent also occurred in men, including 94 percent who reported recent male-to-male sexual or intimate contact. WATCHES | Smallpox cases are on the rise in Canada:
Monkeypox cases continue to rise in Canada
As cases of monkeypox climb in Canada, there are growing concerns that the vaccine is not widely available and time may be running out to contain the spread. European-wide data also show that cases remain mainly among men who have sex with men aged 18 to 50. According to the latest risk assessment of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Controlthe potential for further spread of MPXV in networks of people with multiple sexual partners is “considered high”, while the potential for it to spread to the wider population is “considered very low”. Understanding these patterns of transmission is key to knowing where to direct limited supplies, including vaccines, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Agency. “It makes a lot of sense to distribute this vaccine to the people who are at the highest risk,” he said. “People who are men who have sex with men, people who have had multiple partners, people who have had sex recently.”
So it only spreads through skin contact? Or body fluids?
Regarding transmission through sex, what is less clear is whether it is primarily associated with skin-to-skin contact or whether bodily fluids also play an important role.
“One of the unknowns is to what extent — and for how long — this can be transmitted through semen,” said Toronto-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch.
As Ontario Public Health noted in an August evidence briefthere is still no clear evidence for genital secretions as a “separate route of transmission” alongside direct, intimate contact.
Several recent case studies analyzing human semen during active infections have reported finding monkeypox DNA, which has also been detected in other bodily fluids.
Other research shows that people can carry the virus without showing obvious symptoms, such as telltale physical or genital lesions. A recent study conducted in France, found that 13 out of 200 people tested positive for MPXV when a rectal swab was performed to look for other possible infections — even though they were asymptomatic.
“Whether this indicates shedding of virus that may lead to transmission is unknown,” the researchers wrote.
WATCHES | What it’s like to recover from monkey pox:
What it’s like to recover from monkey pox
A Toronto resident shares his experience recovering from monkeypox, while officials and advocates say more support is needed for patients during the long weeks of isolation.
Can you catch this virus from surfaces, bedding or clothing?
Monkeypox has the ability to linger on infected items such as an infected person’s clothing or bedding. But that doesn’t necessarily mean someone else will catch it. In one study, researchers found live virus 15 days after a patient’s home was left unoccupied, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in mid-July. Studies also show that other closely related viruses can survive in an environment similar to a household for weeks or months, the CDC statement continued, with porous items such as bedding and clothing potentially harboring live virus for longer periods than non-porous surfaces. such as glass or metal. So, theoretically, this virus can be transmitted by touching various objects or through close, non-sexual contact. There are specific examples of household transmission to children and possibly pets, incl a case study in France where two men who caught MPXV may have passed it on to their dog, who was sleeping in their bed. WATCHES | WHO comments on the report of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox:
WHO expert comments on first report of dog with monkeypox
The World Health Organization says it is very important to isolate pets from a person in the household with the disease to prevent the spread. A dog in Paris is believed to be the first case of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox. But if this virus was easily transmitted through surface-based transmission, “we would have seen a much larger outbreak a long time ago,” Bogoch said. “I think it’s completely overkill that we have to worry about touching an inanimate object like a doorknob going into a place, a scooter, or washing every item we get from the grocery store,” he said. “I think it’s obviously premature.” Dr. Zane Chagla, an infectious disease expert at McMaster University in Hamilton, agreed that global case data during this monkeypox outbreak show that infections don’t usually “appear out of the blue.” “And the few that are, don’t really lead to sustained transmission,” he said. Still, Chagla said some precautions are worth taking, especially in health care settings and households where a family member has an active infection. If anyone in a house has smallpox, suggests the CDC cleaning and disinfecting the entire area and putting all contaminated clothes and linens in the washing machine — and if the person doing this work is not the one who is infected, they should at least wear disposable medical gloves and a respirator or well mask application.
What about transmission through the air?
Like many other common viruses, including those that cause influenza and COVID-19, MPXV can spread through the air and infect other people — although many scientists don’t yet see evidence that it’s a major route of transmission. “You can still be transmitted through droplets and aerosols,” Titanji said, referring to increasingly smaller particle sizes that people can breathe or inhale. “But the last two modes of transmission I just mentioned seem to be less common than the dominant mode of sexual transmission.” The World Health Organization supports that transmission via respiratory particles “usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact,” which puts healthcare workers, household members and other close contacts of active cases at greater risk of infection. “If people got monkeypox … by inhaling it and inhaling it, then we would see a lot of people who are not men who have sex with men getting monkeypox,” Rasmussen said. As for the misinformation circulating online implying that the general public can easily contract this virus, Tooley said some of it may come from a place of stigma or just fear. “I hope all those people who are afraid…
title: “Misinformation About Monkeypox Is Spreading Fast. See What Scientists Know About How The Virus Spreads Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Larry Murphy”
Search for the word “monkeypox” on social media and these are the kinds of questions you’ll find online. Several months after the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and TikTok are full of sensational posts about how this virus is transmitted, fueling possible fears that humans can contract it in their daily lives. even though the data overwhelmingly points to sex between men as the main driver of global transmission. An analysis of monkeypox-related posts on Twitter, which was published in June as a letter to the editor in the Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, found that more than half of the publications contained misinformation or unverifiable details. “There’s a big difference between what’s possible and what’s possible and what’s actually happening,” said Len Tooley, director of evaluation at the Community-Based Research Center, a queer health policy organization, and one of the first people. to catch smallpox in Toronto. “What we’re actually seeing happen is that it’s mostly gay and bi men who get monkey pox. Most of them get it sexually…so if you don’t fit into one of those two categories, you probably don’t have much to worry about.” .” WATCHES | WHO warns of misinformation about monkeypox virus:
Sorting fact from fiction on how monkeypox is spread
The World Health Organization says monkeypox is spreading rapidly with no signs of slowing down. But also the misinformation about the virus. Here’s what you need to know about monkeypox transmission. While there are still key unanswered questions about the exact ways this virus spreads between hosts, the data shows that The bulk of infections remain among men who have sex with men — making it vital, scientists say, to prioritize limited vaccines and support for gay, bisexual and transgender people who are at the highest risk of contracting an often painful disease that lasts for weeks. “We know that sexual transmission among men who have sex with men is an important mechanism of spread and a major contributor to the ongoing epidemic,” said physician and researcher Dr. Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor at Emory University in Atlanta. “Having said that, it’s not the only method of transmission.” So here’s what researchers around the world know – and don’t know – about how this virus is transmitted.
How much is monkeypox transmitted through sex?
Before this year’s global outbreak, scientists typically believed that monkeypox virus, or MPXV, reached humans primarily through contact with infected animals, leading to household transmission and limited outbreaks in areas of West and Central Africa where this pathogen is endemic. But Titanji said there were indications that MPXV was also spreading through sexual networks Nigerian scientists sound the alarm during a nationwide outbreak in 2017 which greatly affected sexually active young men, often causing damage to the genitals. “So it’s possible that monkeypox is also sexually transmitted and has flown under the radar and found its way into very densely connected sexual networks that allowed it to amplify,” Titanji said. In Canada, the disease is mainly refers to men who have sex with menand 99 percent of infected individuals identified as male, with a median age of 36. Among U.S. smallpox cases with available data99 percent also occurred in men, including 94 percent who reported recent male-to-male sexual or intimate contact. WATCHES | Smallpox cases are on the rise in Canada:
Monkeypox cases continue to rise in Canada
As cases of monkeypox climb in Canada, there are growing concerns that the vaccine is not widely available and time may be running out to contain the spread. European-wide data also show that cases remain mainly among men who have sex with men aged 18 to 50. According to the latest risk assessment of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Controlthe potential for further spread of MPXV in networks of people with multiple sexual partners is “considered high”, while the potential for it to spread to the wider population is “considered very low”. Understanding these patterns of transmission is key to knowing where to direct limited supplies, including vaccines, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Agency. “It makes a lot of sense to distribute this vaccine to the people who are at the highest risk,” he said. “People who are men who have sex with men, people who have had multiple partners, people who have had sex recently.”
So it only spreads through skin contact? Or body fluids?
Regarding transmission through sex, what is less clear is whether it is primarily associated with skin-to-skin contact or whether bodily fluids also play an important role.
“One of the unknowns is to what extent — and for how long — this can be transmitted through semen,” said Toronto-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch.
As Ontario Public Health noted in an August evidence briefthere is still no clear evidence for genital secretions as a “separate route of transmission” alongside direct, intimate contact.
Several recent case studies analyzing human semen during active infections have reported finding monkeypox DNA, which has also been detected in other bodily fluids.
Other research shows that people can carry the virus without showing obvious symptoms, such as telltale physical or genital lesions. A recent study conducted in France, found that 13 out of 200 people tested positive for MPXV when a rectal swab was performed to look for other possible infections — even though they were asymptomatic.
“Whether this indicates shedding of virus that may lead to transmission is unknown,” the researchers wrote.
WATCHES | What it’s like to recover from monkey pox:
What it’s like to recover from monkey pox
A Toronto resident shares his experience recovering from monkeypox, while officials and advocates say more support is needed for patients during the long weeks of isolation.
Can you catch this virus from surfaces, bedding or clothing?
Monkeypox has the ability to linger on infected items such as an infected person’s clothing or bedding. But that doesn’t necessarily mean someone else will catch it. In one study, researchers found live virus 15 days after a patient’s home was left unoccupied, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in mid-July. Studies also show that other closely related viruses can survive in an environment similar to a household for weeks or months, the CDC statement continued, with porous items such as bedding and clothing potentially harboring live virus for longer periods than non-porous surfaces. such as glass or metal. So, theoretically, this virus can be transmitted by touching various objects or through close, non-sexual contact. There are specific examples of household transmission to children and possibly pets, incl a case study in France where two men who caught MPXV may have passed it on to their dog, who was sleeping in their bed. WATCHES | WHO comments on the report of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox:
WHO expert comments on first report of dog with monkeypox
The World Health Organization says it is very important to isolate pets from a person in the household with the disease to prevent the spread. A dog in Paris is believed to be the first case of human-to-dog transmission of smallpox. But if this virus was easily transmitted through surface-based transmission, “we would have seen a much larger outbreak a long time ago,” Bogoch said. “I think it’s completely overkill that we have to worry about touching an inanimate object like a doorknob going into a place, a scooter, or washing every item we get from the grocery store,” he said. “I think it’s obviously premature.” Dr. Zane Chagla, an infectious disease expert at McMaster University in Hamilton, agreed that global case data during this monkeypox outbreak show that infections don’t usually “appear out of the blue.” “And the few that are, don’t really lead to sustained transmission,” he said. Still, Chagla said some precautions are worth taking, especially in health care settings and households where a family member has an active infection. If anyone in a house has smallpox, suggests the CDC cleaning and disinfecting the entire area and putting all contaminated clothes and linens in the washing machine — and if the person doing this work is not the one who is infected, they should at least wear disposable medical gloves and a respirator or well mask application.
What about transmission through the air?
Like many other common viruses, including those that cause influenza and COVID-19, MPXV can spread through the air and infect other people — although many scientists don’t yet see evidence that it’s a major route of transmission. “You can still be transmitted through droplets and aerosols,” Titanji said, referring to increasingly smaller particle sizes that people can breathe or inhale. “But the last two modes of transmission I just mentioned seem to be less common than the dominant mode of sexual transmission.” The World Health Organization supports that transmission via respiratory particles “usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact,” which puts healthcare workers, household members and other close contacts of active cases at greater risk of infection. “If people got monkeypox … by inhaling it and inhaling it, then we would see a lot of people who are not men who have sex with men getting monkeypox,” Rasmussen said. As for the misinformation circulating online implying that the general public can easily contract this virus, Tooley said some of it may come from a place of stigma or just fear. “I hope all those people who are afraid…
