Rare disease native to Africa, the variolate of the monkey worries! It is because after the pandemic of COVID-19 and its spread at the speed of light, this new virus is the object of all attention. This is the variolate of the monkey, or Simienne or Monkeypox orthopoxvis.
The variolate of the mongee was detected in several dozen people in Europe and North America since early May. A person was infected with the Paris region, Canada reported Thursday, May 19, 2022, two cases of monkey smallpox in humans, other suspicious cases are being studied in the French -speaking Montreal metropolitan area, while the Canadian authorities are already talking about 17 suspicious cases.
Dozens of cases detected in Europe
Italy reported, also on Thursday of a first case of a vario of the monkey in a young adult recently returned from the Canary Islands. The patient placed in isolation receives care and is in a stable state, while two other suspicious cases are being evaluated.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) intends to publish its first risk assessment report “early next week,” said the European Union agency responsible for diseases and epidemics.
In fact, several dozen suspicious or confirmed cases of a vario of the monkey have been detected since the beginning of May in Europe and North America, leaving to fear a beginning of propagation of this endemic disease in West Africa.
This infrequent disease is generally manifested by fever, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and rashes on the hands and face, like chickenpox.
The origins of the virus
The vario of the monkey is native to the isolated areas center and western Africa, near tropical and humid forests. The first case of the variolate of the monkey dates from 1970, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on a young boy of 9 years.
The virus is transmitted from certain animal species to humans. According to the WHO, it is transmitted by species such as rodents or primates. However, interhuman transmission is very low, even almost inexistent.
Symptoms
This disease is called a vario of the monkey, because these symptoms are closer, less serious, to those of the smallpox which was completely eradicated in 1980.
It manifests itself, most often, with the appearance of a sudden and virulent fever and muscle pain. Then comes the rash period that can extend over the whole body.
The virus lethality rate in humans remains less than 10%, says WHO but young children remain the most vulnerable.
What treatment?
There is no treatment or vaccine is specific to the variolate of the monkey. The fact remains that, the disease can be contained thanks to the variolate vaccine which would be 85%effective. However, this vaccine is no longer available since the smallpox has disappeared for forty years.
The WHO also specifies, that man naturally heals from this virus similarly to the COVVI-19.
