Substantial per-symptomatic monkeypox spread found

Context-

Scientists have found evidence to show that the monkeypox virus can spread from an infected person up to four days before they even start exhibiting symptoms of the disease, a new study has claimed.

What the research says-

The researchers behind the study estimated that 53% of the transmission of monkeypox occurred in this pre-symptomatic phase, meaning that many infections cannot be prevented by asking individuals to isolate after they notice their symptoms.
Pre-symptomatic transmission would have important implications for infection control globally.

First evidence-

This work represents the first evidence to support Pre-symptomatic transmission, which was earlier speculated.
The two main measures to prove Pre-symptomatic transmission is –
Serial interval – the time from symptom onset in the primary case patient to symptom onset in the secondary contact – and
Incubation period – the time from exposure to onset of symptoms.
The findings are based on routine surveillance and contact-tracing data for 2,746 individuals who tested positive for the monkeypox virus in the U. K.
Their average age was 38 years and 95 per cent of them reported being gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men.
Based on these results, the researchers say an isolation period of 16 to 23 days would be required to detect 95 per cent of people with a potential infection.

Important implications-

These findings have important implications for isolation and contact-tracing policies.
The backward contact-tracing strategies should account for a pre-symptomatic infectious period when trying to find the contacts of confirmed cases.

Need for Vaccine and Vaccine equity-

Researchers based in the U.S., U.K., and Nigeria argued that pre-exposure vaccination and vaccine equity are urgently needed worldwide.
Vaccination is likely to be more cost-effective than managing the consequences of preventable infections, including hospital admissions, loss of income during isolation, and long-term complications.

What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although with less clinical severity.
The infection was first discovered in 1958 following two outbreaks of a pox-like disease in colonies of monkeys kept for research — which led to the name ‘monkeypox’.

Symptoms:

Infected people break out in a rash that looks a lot like chicken pox. But the fever, malaise, and headache from Monkeypox are usually more severe than in chickenpox infection.
In the early stage of the disease, Monkeypox can be distinguished from smallpox because the lymph gland gets enlarged.

Transmission:

Primary infection is through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of an infected animal. Eating inadequately cooked meat of infected animals is also a risk factor.
Human-to-human transmission can result from close contact with infected respiratory tract secretions, skin lesions of an infected person or objects recently contaminated by patient fluids or lesion materials.
Transmission can also occur by inoculation or via the placenta (congenital monkeypox).

Vulnerability:

Treatment and Vaccine:

There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for Monkeypox infection,
But the European Union has recommended a Small Pox Vaccine, Imvanex to treat monkeypox after the WHO declared monkeypox a global health emergency.