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Monkeypox / Monkey Pox

Portugal claims monkey pox has mutated at a unbelievable rate and has already gone through 50 mutations.

Portugal claims this is not the original monkey pox.

The infection rate will go up.
 

The report mentioned in the above Tweet.


John P. Thornhill, Sapha Barkati, Sharon Walmsley, Juergen Rockstroh, Andrea Antinori, et al.
Monkeypox Virus Infection in Humans across 16 Countries — April–June 2022
The New England Journal of Medicine July 21, 2022
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2207323

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Before April 2022, monkeypox virus infection in humans was seldom reported outside African regions where it is endemic. Currently, cases are occurring worldwide. Transmission, risk factors, clinical presentation, and outcomes of infection are poorly defined.

METHODS

We formed an international collaborative group of clinicians who contributed to an international case series to describe the presentation, clinical course, and outcomes of polymerase-chain-reaction–confirmed monkeypox virus infections.

RESULTS

We report 528 infections diagnosed between April 27 and June 24, 2022, at 43 sites in 16 countries. Overall, 98% of the persons with infection were gay or bisexual men, 75% were White, and 41% had human immunodeficiency virus infection; the median age was 38 years. Transmission was suspected to have occurred through sexual activity in 95% of the persons with infection. In this case series, 95% of the persons presented with a rash (with 64% having <10 lesions), 73% had anogenital lesions, and 41% had mucosal lesions (with 54 having a single genital lesion). Common systemic features preceding the rash included fever (62%), lethargy (41%), myalgia (31%), and headache (27%); lymphadenopathy was also common (reported in 56%). Concomitant sexually transmitted infections were reported in 109 of 377 persons (29%) who were tested. Among the 23 persons with a clear exposure history, the median incubation period was 7 days (range, 3 to 20). Monkeypox virus DNA was detected in 29 of the 32 persons in whom seminal fluid was analyzed. Antiviral treatment was given to 5% of the persons overall, and 70 (13%) were hospitalized; the reasons for hospitalization were pain management, mostly for severe anorectal pain (21 persons); soft-tissue superinfection (18); pharyngitis limiting oral intake (5); eye lesions (2); acute kidney injury (2); myocarditis (2); and infection-control purposes (13). No deaths were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

In this case series, monkeypox manifested with a variety of dermatologic and systemic clinical findings. The simultaneous identification of cases outside areas where monkeypox has traditionally been endemic highlights the need for rapid identification and diagnosis of cases to contain further community spread. ...

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2207323
 
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The answer to this new pandemic that isn't, is to keep it in your trousers. It's so simple and those in power are scared to say that. I'm not. Sorry to say, when it comes to gay men that ain't going to happen. I say that having a gay brother, and a now long deceased closet gay father, and we all knew what he was up to on his 'nights out playing cards' most nights of the week. (How my mother must have felt, god knows). With many gay men, their lives revolve around what they do with their willies and behinds. Of the gays I know, some who are friends, they openly admit it. Sorry to be so blunt about it and I don't mean any offence or to be judgemental. It's just how it is.

When I was much much younger, a teenager, if I could have had the same with females on tap as it were, I sure I would have been likewise. I'm certain it will come to that soon with younger people. I now often hear the term f*** buddy which sounds horrible to me. So that to me says that is coming soon and possibly via a mobile app as Grinder (spelling) is to the gay men. Now though, at 64, and it may sound odd, I'm not interested. I want a simple and peaceful life. No complications. No entanglements.

I live in the gay capital of the UK, possibly the whole of Europe. To not know what the gay scene is here and what goes on is to walk about with your eyes closed. I was taking to a neighbour in the car park a few nights ago and he got a message on his mobile and he said sorry, and off he suddenly went. He is gay and I knew intuitively why he went off so quickly.
 
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With the single balancing comment that 'gay sexual lifestyles' (as far as such characterisations can be legitimately made) evolved out of the secrecy demanded by social ostracism and legal sanction rather than a lack of individual impulse control, I'd like to draw a line under this conversational detour and focus on the nature and spread of this pox.

That it is spreading most rapidly through this specific community owing to various facets of its typical behaviour is now firmly established.

Nobody is wrong to have made these observations, nor to have explained them to others (that was probably required owing to a reticence on behalf of certain medical authorities and branches of the media), but the text is now there for our readers to see, so we need not boorishly labour the point like those who seek to wield it as a cudgel against a group they have never accepted as legitimate members of society.

Of course, if some new insight into the social mechanisms of the contagion surfaces, it is perfectly fair to introduce such facts here.
 
I think I've said some of the following in other posts littered throughout this forum but it may be of interest to some and hopefully add to the discussion.

I was a volunteer at the Terrence Higgins Trust in London in the late 80's/early 90's. One thing that came out of their sexual health/safe sex campaigns was the phrase "men who have sex with men" as opposed to Gay or Bi. It had become apparent that there were sexually active males that often or exclusively had sex with other men but didn't consider themselves to be Gay. This was because they never went to Gay clubs and pubs, didn't have a group of Gay friends, didn't buy Gay magazines etc and therefore the safe sex campaigns aimed at the Gay scene during this time weren't reaching this particular audience.

This brings up the interesting point of how the words we use as labels take on a 'power' or meaning beyond that of the dictionary definition and a lack of awareness of this can be counter-productive.

As to the spread of this Monkey Pox (Pox! It's a good word isn't it? Can't you just see the lesions and weeping sores conjured from that one, short word!) The early safe sex campaigns aimed at Gay men in America which used the mantra "No sucking, no fucking, no rimming, no wets" would be no good as skin contact seems to be enough. The message needs to be aimed at people who are un-cautious about with whom they are physically intimate... P.W.U.W.P.I's for short. Well, I doubt if that will catch on but I'm mighty glad to add mucosallesions and lymphadenopathy to my vocabulary; every dark cloud...
 
How could a virus that never left Africa in the past suddenly explode across the world ?

The cases in London keep climbing.

I sense a conspiracy here.
Probably because significantly more people are leaving Africa to live in other countries - in many cases, doing it illegally and without taking medical precautions.
 
Facts:

"A global outbreak of monkeypox has grown to nearly 14,000 cases, including 5 deaths, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said today.

Though the outbreak is heavily concentrated in Europe, the five deaths have been reported in African nations."

https://www.who.int/news-room/speec...-at-the-covid-19-media-briefing--20-july-2022

- And this is an "emergency".

:rofl:

14,000 people out of a world population of 7.96 billion = 0.00017%

Five deaths out of 7.96 billion = a number so low that my online calculator won't even deign to work it out.

maximus otter
 
In two weeks monkey pox cases in the U.S. went from 1,500 to 3,000.

Pediatricians are on alert as one infant and one toddler came down with the monkey pox blisters.

The virus is now circulating among the public.
 
I wanted to post these links here as for some reason people here seem to be focussing on the misplaced idea that only sexual contact with very specific partners makes it more likely to contract monkey pox. I blame the original media releases that gave very specific information about the individuals who first contracted the disease outside of Africa.

Monkey pox is endemic in Africa and if you look at what Africa knows of the disease, it affects women and children as well. It can be contracted through the pustules and scabs - similar to chicken pox, small pox. So why the comments regarding sexuality? Perhaps we need more information?

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/monkeypox/risks.html

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01686-z
 

“98% of monkeypox cases so far are in gay or bisexual men…”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-monkeypox-gay-bisexual-men-public-health-who

Monkeypox is being driven overwhelmingly by sex between men, major study finds


Of the 528 confirmed cases reviewed, 95% are believed to have transmitted during sex between men, according to a new paper in the New England Journal of Medicine.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out...helmingly-sex-men-major-study-finds-rcna39564

- And l’d wager that most of the other 2% or 5% are men who don’t want their wives to find out…

maximus otter
 
“98% of monkeypox cases so far are in gay or bisexual men…”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-monkeypox-gay-bisexual-men-public-health-who

Monkeypox is being driven overwhelmingly by sex between men, major study finds


Of the 528 confirmed cases reviewed, 95% are believed to have transmitted during sex between men, according to a new paper in the New England Journal of Medicine.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out...helmingly-sex-men-major-study-finds-rcna39564

- And l’d wager that most of the other 2% or 5% are men who don’t want their wives to find out…

maximus otter
Again, these numbers are in non-African countries. Everyone needs to be aware that it is increasing in numbers.

Unfortunately, despite it being endemic in African countries, no vaccine has been made specifically for it.
 
The answer to this new pandemic that isn't, is to keep it in your trousers. It's so simple and those in power are scared to say that. I'm not. Sorry to say, when it comes to gay men that ain't going to happen. I say that having a gay brother, and a now long deceased closet gay father, and we all knew what he was up to on his 'nights out playing cards' most nights of the week. (How my mother must have felt, god knows). With many gay men, their lives revolve around what they do with their willies and behinds. Of the gays I know, some who are friends, they openly admit it. Sorry to be so blunt about it and I don't mean any offence or to be judgemental. It's just how it is.

When I was much much younger, a teenager, if I could have had the same with females on tap as it were, I sure I would have been likewise. I'm certain it will come to that soon with younger people. I now often hear the term f*** buddy which sounds horrible to me. So that to me says that is coming soon and possibly via a mobile app as Grinder (spelling) is to the gay men. Now though, at 64, and it may sound odd, I'm not interested. I want a simple and peaceful life. No complications. No entanglements.

I live in the gay capital of the UK, possibly the whole of Europe. To not know what the gay scene is here and what goes on is to walk about with your eyes closed. I was taking to a neighbour in the car park a few nights ago and he got a message on his mobile and he said sorry, and off he suddenly went. He is gay and I knew intuitively why he went off so quickly.
Discussed in the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...pox-gay-communities-vaccines-health-messages#

It is interesting to note that many of the commentators below the line share your sentiments (and are, of course, Guardian readers known for their liberal viewpoints). Personally, I feel the stance taken by Stephen Fry, who opted out of sex during the emergence of HIV/AIDs, is the best approach; this time it won't be for years as there is a vaccine, but of course that is just a personal opinion.

"I was a volunteer at the Terrence Higgins Trust in London in the late 80's/early 90's. One thing that came out of their sexual health/safe sex campaigns was the phrase "men who have sex with men" as opposed to Gay or Bi. It had become apparent that there were sexually active males that often or exclusively had sex with other men but didn't consider themselves to be Gay. This was because they never went to Gay clubs and pubs, didn't have a group of Gay friends, didn't buy Gay magazines etc and therefore the safe sex campaigns aimed at the Gay scene during this time weren't reaching this particular audience."

A great summary of the situation from pandacracker, It is a far more nuanced situation than some tabloids would have us believe.
 
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It is also likely to be spread through needle sharing. Not just by addicts though, in developing countries needles may be used more than once by medics. Also through transfusions of tainted blood.

A health official is being investigated for vaccinating 30 students with a single syringe in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-62329504
 
Discussed in the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...pox-gay-communities-vaccines-health-messages#

It is interesting to note that many of the commentators below the line share your sentiments (and are, of course, Guardian readers known for their liberal viewpoints). Personally, I feel the stance taken by Stephen Fry, who opted out of sex during the emergence of HIV/AIDs, is the best approach; this time it won't be for years as there is a vaccine, but of course that is just a personal opinion.

"I was a volunteer at the Terrence Higgins Trust in London in the late 80's/early 90's. One thing that came out of their sexual health/safe sex campaigns was the phrase "men who have sex with men" as opposed to Gay or Bi. It had become apparent that there were sexually active males that often or exclusively had sex with other men but didn't consider themselves to be Gay. This was because they never went to Gay clubs and pubs, didn't have a group of Gay friends, didn't buy Gay magazines etc and therefore the safe sex campaigns aimed at the Gay scene during this time weren't reaching this particular audience."

A great summary of the situation from pandacracker, It is a far more nuanced situation than some tabloids would have us believe.
I've been told that part of the men frequenting outdoor gay cruising spots are not gay by orientation, but prefer the uncomplicated sex between men as contrasted with the more complex sexual rituals with women ...
 
In completely unrelated news, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London says monkey pox has been linked to penis swelling and rectal pain.
 
In completely unrelated news, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London says monkey pox has been linked to penis swelling and rectal pain.
No surprises there.
 
No surprises there.
Interesting:

According to Bilinska, it is unclear why monkeypox is causing the new symptoms in some people. “It may suggest a change in the natural disease course, or it may be due to the mode of transmission,” she says. “It’s a question that deserves a lot more research.” ..... It is possible that the penile, anal and oral lesions are occurring at the site of first contact with the virus either transmitted sexually or through close contact,” she says
 
And now deaths from monkeypox are reported outside of Africa.

Brazil and Spain have reported their first monkeypox deaths.

A 41-year-old man in Brazil became the first fatality from the virus outside Africa. Spain announced two deaths soon afterwards - the first in Europe.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency.

But infections are usually mild and the risk to the general population is low.

On Friday Brazil's health ministry said the victim there had suffered from lymphoma and a weakened immune system, and "comorbidities aggravated his condition".

Brazil has so far reported 1,066 confirmed cases and 513 suspected cases of the virus. Data from Brazil's health ministry indicates that more than 98% of confirmed cases were in men who have sex with men.

Shortly afterwards, Spain's health ministry confirmed Europe's first death from the virus - a patient who suffered from encephalitis. A second death linked to monkeypox was confirmed by Spanish authorities on Saturday.

The health ministry said that of 3,750 monkeypox patients with available information, 120 or 3.2% had been hospitalised.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-62350022

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 21,148 cases worldwide.
 
It's Gay Pride next weekend in Brighton. Expected attendance is over a million people. For a few days Brighton will be one big knocking shop. I wonder if it will affect the monkey pox figures?
 
It's Gay Pride next weekend in Brighton. Expected attendance is over a million people. For a few days Brighton will be one big knocking shop. I wonder if it will affect the monkey pox figures?
It does make it statistically more likely, I would think.
However, the number of cases (if any) should be low. I hope.
 
New York declares a state of emergency as 1/4 of the 6,000 monkey pox cases in the U.S. are in New York City.

Fire Island in Suffolk County, New York where the residents ( population around 400 people ) are mostly gay men that are being asked to get vaccinated at the vaccination clinics that have been set up.

Some public health officials opinions is that monkey pox is now in the general population and can not be stopped.
 
Something I did not know until recently is that a person with monkey pox can be contagious for up to four weeks.

Some doctors even feel that a person is contagious until the last pox goes away.

A monkey pox person can really spread this disease for a long time.
 
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