With 696 confirmed cases of monkeypox, Brazil is coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) to acquire a vaccine against the disease. According to the Ministry of Health, negotiations are being carried out globally with the manufacturer to expand access to the immunizing agent for countries where there are confirmed cases of the disease.
Through a note, the folder stressed that mass vaccination is not recommended by the WHO in non-endemic countries for the disease, as is the case in Brazil. The recommendation, so far, is that people who had contact with suspected cases and health professionals with high occupational risk be immunized in the face of exposure to the virus.
Of the 696 confirmed cases in the country so far, 506 are from the state of São Paulo, 102 from Rio de Janeiro, 33 from Minas Gerais, 13 from the Federal District, 11 from Paraná, 14 from Goiás, three from Bahia, two from Ceará. , three from Rio Grande do Sul, two from Rio Grande do Norte, two from Espírito Santo, three from Pernambuco, one from Mato Grosso do Sul and one from Santa Catarina.
international emergency
The WHO decided today (23) to declare that monkeypox constitutes emergency of public health of international interest. The announcement was made by the director general of the entity, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a press conference.
“We have an outbreak that has spread rapidly around the world, through new forms of transmission, about which we understand very little, and which fits the criteria of the International Health Regulations. For these reasons, I have decided that the monkeypox epidemic represents a public health emergency of international concern,” Tedros said.
The disease
Smallpox caused by the hMPXV virus (Human Monkeypox Virus) causes a milder picture than the smallpox known as smallpox, which was eradicated in the 1980s.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease transmitted by close contact with an infected person with skin lesions. Contact can be through hugs, kisses, massages or sexual intercourse. The disease is also transmitted by respiratory secretions and by contact with objects, fabrics (clothes, bedding or towels) and surfaces used by the patient.
There is no specific treatment, but the clinical pictures are usually mild, requiring care and observation of the lesions. The greatest risk of worsening refers, in general, to immunosuppressed people, such as patients with HIV/AIDS, leukemia, lymphoma, metastasis, transplant recipients, people with autoimmune diseases, pregnant women, lactating women and children under 8 years of age.
The first symptoms may be fever, headache, muscle and back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills or tiredness. One to three days after the onset of symptoms, people develop skin lesions, usually on the mouth, feet, chest, face, or genital areas.
For prevention, close contact with the sick person should be avoided until all wounds have healed, as well as with any material that has been used by the infected. It is also important to sanitize your hands, washing them with soap and water or using gel alcohol.
