According to experts, the new strain of monkeypox spreads mainly among children because this is a group that is often in close contact with each other.
One of the biggest differences between this year’s monkeypox outbreak in Africa and the 2022 wave in Europe is the way the virus spreads. More than two years ago, the disease was largely confined to people who had sex. Now, children account for more than 70% of cases. Scientists believe the new strain (Clade 1b) has changed how it spreads.
In fact, many pathogens have a high transmission rate in children, because this is a group of patients with a lot of physical contact. They play, talk and collide with each other more, especially in the summer. This is a transmission route recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). The longer the contact, the greater the chance of infection.
However, “Monkey pox is not a new Covid-19 pandemic,” Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said on August 20. The reason is that the transmission of monkey pox is very different from the aerosol transmission of nCoV, so the progression of the disease is slower.
Rafael Toledo, a professor of parasitology and immunology at the University of Valencia, said Covid-19 and monkeypox have many differences, most notably their size. The monkeypox virus is twice as large as the new coronavirus, making it unlikely to mutate enough to remain airborne for long.
A child infected with monkeypox in Munigi, Democratic Republic of Congo, August 18. Photo: Reuters
According to Professor Toledo, if monkeypox were transmitted through the air or aerosol, the age range of the disease would be wider. He said monkeypox resembles “lice”.
“They jump from person to person because of close contact. Children are usually the most affected, because they are in contact with each other,” he said.
Professor Toledo commented Viruses do not change by nature. He said it was difficult to assess how the virus would behave if it were circulating in Europe in 2024. Previously, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the risk on the continent was low, a view that Professor Toledo agreed with.
However, there are still many unanswered questions about the new monkeypox strain, whether it is more transmissible, more dangerous, or causes more severe symptoms. The ECDC also warns of the unknowns surrounding this variant.
“Although past reports have suggested higher morbidity and mortality with Clade 1b than with Clade 2b, current preliminary data from Africa do not suggest a greater clinical severity,” the agency said.
In 2022, WHO declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) for the first time. The outbreak was caused by the Clade 2b variant, which is spread mainly through sexual contact.
In the current wave of the epidemic, the virus spreading belongs to the more dangerous Clade 1b strain, with a mortality rate of 3%, much higher than the 0.2% in 2022. In August, the disease spread to some Asian countries such as Thailand and the Philippines. Currently, our country has not recorded a new strain of monkeypox.
Vietnam detected its first monkeypox case in October 2022. The Ministry of Health detected more than 68 monkeypox cases, 6 deaths, most of whom had a history of HIV infection. Since then, localities have recorded sporadic cases of monkeypox.