WHO blames monkeypox outbreak on sex raves
A World Health Organisation expert says the potentially deadly outbreak could have come from European sex raves. Here’s what you need to know about the virus.
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The potentially deadly monkeypox outbreak could have originated from sex raves in Europe, the World Health Orgnisation says.
Dr David Heymann, a WHO expert, believes sex antics at Belgium and Spain events could be behind the spread.
“We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected,” he said.
“And it looks like the sexual contact has now amplified that transmission.”
Three cases in Belgium were on Friday linked a large-scale fetish festival in the port city of Antwerp, organisers of the Darklands Festival said.
Organisers said: “There’s reason to assume that the virus has been brought in by visitors from abroad to the festival after recent cases in other countries.”
Belgium has become the first country in the world to introduce quarantine for monkeypox after recording three infections traced back to a fetish festival.
The northwestern European country announced a mandatory 21-day quarantine for anyone infected with the virus.
The United States has enough vaccines to deal with a potential outbreak of monkeypox and “extra efforts” are not needed to prevent its spread, President Joe Biden said in Tokyo for the Quad meeting.
Mrt Biden was asked if Americans could expect to see weeks-long quarantines for people infected with monkeypox after several cases were detected this month in North America and Europe.
“No, I don’t think so. Look, we’ve had this monkeypox in larger numbers in the past,” he said..
“Number two, we have vaccines to take care of it. Number three, thus far, there doesn’t seem to be the need for any kind of extra efforts beyond what’s going on.”
The US however is preparing to give monkeypox vaccines to close contacts of people infected and to deploy treatments, with five cases now either confirmed or probable and the number likely to rise.
It comes as one of Australia’s top doctors issued an urgent sex warning after the killer virus was found on our shores.
Australian chief medical officer Dr Sonya Bennett said the two cases came from travellers returning from overseas.
A 30-year-old man who arrived in Melbourne from Britain, via Abu Dhabi, on May 16 was the first case, with the NSW man in his 40s developing mild illness several days after returning from Europe.
Both remain isolated with mild symptoms and are expected to make full recoveries.
The Victorian case is linked to one of nine cases that have emerged in the UK, with some of them connected to the country’s gay and bisexual community.
Similar to smallpox, there are currently no treatments for an infection of the rare zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions.
The National Incident Centre has been activated to support the responses from the NSW and Victorian health departments.
NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant urged gay men to be particularly vigilant.
“We know it’s transmitted by that close skin to skin contact – you can be infectious and that close droplet contact in a very sort of close prolonged way,” Dr Chant said.
“We’re particularly urging men who are gay or bisexual, or men who have sex with men, to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact by phone a sexual health clinic or GP without delay if they have any concerns.
“It is important to be particularly vigilant if you returned from overseas from large parties or sex on premises venues overseas.
“You can imagine that some settings, such as sex on premises venues or other events and gatherings may lead to sort of what we’ve seen as super spreading events.
“It is important that people who have recently returned from Europe who attended such parties be particularly alert given the worldwide case reports today.”
Symptoms last from two to four weeks and include fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face.
In rare cases, a severe infection can cause death.
There have been 20 confirmed cases in the UK since the first case was reported on May 7, with France, Belgium and Germany reporting their first cases. The United States, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Italy have reported cases.
Australians travelling to or from these countries are urged to watch for signs of infection and to immediately seek medical help if they’re at risk. Signs of infection include fever, a distinctive vesicular rash which can occur on any part of the body including the face, and swollen lymph nodes.
Ms Bennett said while the virus is mostly transmitted to humans via infected animals like rodents or primates, transmission can occur between humans through close contact with lesions on the skin, body fluids including respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding.
“While a number of the recently identified cases have self-reported as gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, monkeypox has not been described as a sexually transmitted disease, though it can spread through direct intimate contact during sex,” she said in a statement.
“Transmission via respiratory droplets usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact. Transmission can occur between sexual partners, through intimate contact during sex, with infectious skin lesions being the likely mode of transmission.”
While investigations continue as to the “precise nature of transmission” during this outbreak, Ms Bennett said that transmission usually requires “significant close contact” with an infected person who is displaying symptoms.
“This means that, with good community awareness, transmission is likely to be localised, readily identified and able to be contained,” she added.
While the smallpox vaccine can provide some protection, people born in Australia would not have been vaccinated against smallpox.
It is a rare viral infection linked to Central or West Africa, with the first reported case in the UK linked to travel from Nigeria.
The three earliest confirmed cases were not linked to four subsequent cases between men who were known to have had recent sex with men, or self-identified as gay or bisexual, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The World Health Organisation said it was also investigating the fact that many cases were reported among gay or bisexual men.
“(It) is new information we need to investigate properly, to understand better the dynamic of local transmission in the UK and in some other countries.” said WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove.
“We are working very closely with [them] … to evaluate each of these cases, the source of their infection,” she added.
Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, says he’s “concerned that transmission could accelerate” as the continent enters its busy summer season of festivals and parties.
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