Monkeypox Outbreak: Is Waning Smallpox Vaccine Protection The Reason?
At a time when the world was battling the deadly SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19, reports about the massive spread of another virus, potentially more transmissible have left the people baffled. The monkeypox virus infection is a viral disease that was only predominant in Southern and Eastern Africa, however, it was recently reported that the virus has started infecting people and has already entered over 12 countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also warned people to not show any leniency towards the virus as it has the potential to lead to a new pandemic. Unlike, COVID-19, monkeypox doesn't spread via air, which makes it a little difficult to transmit, but it can spread via physical contact. Anyone infected with the virus can spread it to others through respiratory droplets. In simple words, the transmission of the monkeypox virus takes place when a healthy individual comes in contact with the virus through an animal, human, or materials carrying the virus. The virus then enters the body through broken skin, respiratory tract, or mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, or mouth. But, unlike COVID-19, monkeypox doesn't have any dedicated vaccine that can treat the infection.
The question now is how suddenly there was an outbreak of this virus, which was not even found in any other parts apart from Africa? What led to the outbreak? Are we missing out on any of the details? Let's go back to check the timeline.
Amid the vast spread of the monkeypox virus infection, scientists have said that the sudden surge in the cases of this new viral infection could be one of the results of waning smallpox vaccine protection. Yes, you read that right, scientists are assuming that the cases associated with monkeypox are on the rise because smallpox vaccines were ceased.
Speaking to the media, Prof. Raina MacIntyre, from the University of New South Wales said, "Waning of immunity from smallpox vaccination may be contributing to the increasing outbreaks of Monkeypox. She further added, "It has been more than 40-50 years since mass vaccination ceased".
The world was declared smallpox free few years back by the World Health Organisation (WHO). According to the reports, the naturally occurring smallpox was wiped out worldwide by 1980. Which led to the cessation of the vaccines against the smallpox virus. Speaking to the media, Dr Romulus Breban, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris said that the outbreak was waiting to happen. "Our immunity level is almost zero. People aged 50 and above are likely to be immune but the rest of us are not, so we are very, very susceptible," IANS quoted him as saying.
Over the years many studies have been done to understand the link between the monkeypox virus and smallpox. Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by the monkeypox virus. How is it related to smallpox? The monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus which includes the variola (smallpox) virus as well as the vaccinia virus, which is used in the smallpox vaccine.
The two viral diseases have many similarities and a few dissimilarities. While, both monkeypox and smallpox begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. The main difference between the symptoms of smallpox and monkeypox is that monkeypox causes lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy) while smallpox does not.
Taking cognizance of the current situation, several countries are planning to stock up on the existing smallpox vaccines that are considered to be 85 per cent effective against the monkeypox virus.
According to the reports, the UK has secured a supply of tecovirimat and is offering a smallpox vaccine to close contacts of people diagnosed with monkeypox to reduce the risk of symptomatic infection and severe illness.
On the other hand, the US is also 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. EU health authorities have also advised member states to prepare a monkeypox vaccine plan.
However, the global health body - WHO has said that its researchers do not believe the monkeypox outbreak can be stopped only by using mass vaccinations as measures. According to the WHO, to contain the virus, everyone needs to follow good hygiene and safe sexual behaviour.
(With inputs from agencies)
