Preemptive response system needed to cope with monkeypox
Monkeypox, a new viral disease, is showing signs of spreading globally. Last Saturday, the World Health Organization said it expected to confirm more cases of contagion as the U.N. agency expanded its scope of infection tracking. According to media reports, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox had been reported in 12 countries, causing concerns about the emergence of another infectious disease.
Monkeypox is usually mild and endemic in parts of West and Central Africa. Therefore, many experts are perplexed by its simultaneous occurrences in various parts of the world. It is spread mainly through the respiratory tract, with some experts raising the possibility of transmission by sexual intercourse. Its major symptoms are fever, chills, headaches and blistering rashes.
Korean health officials have yet to confirm a domestic infection case, but it may only be a matter of time, depending on the global spreading trend. Health authorities should raise further awareness, keeping in mind the possibility of domestic inflows. Many countries, including the U.K., the U.S. and Spain, are paying keen attention to the rare infectious disease's unusual prevalence. UNAIDS, a U.N. agency that leads global efforts to end AIDS, pointed out recently that monkeypox is a disease anyone can catch if they come into close contact with an infected person.
It is difficult to predict the spread of monkeypox, forcing some countries to express concerns that it might already be spreading in local communities. Monkeypox was found in laboratory monkeys in 1958, and the first human infections were reported in Congo in 1970. Its fatality rate ranges between 1 percent and 10 percent, depending on variants. However, officials at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Sunday they have established a testing system to prepare for domestic occurrences.
The KDCA also said it could diagnose monkeypox infections with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. However, the agency must first focus on blocking the disease's domestic inflows. It also needs to work out an efficient response system for the medical sector in advance. Now is the time for the nation to keep a close eye on the possibility of dual crises caused by COVID-19 and monkeypox.
Monkeypox, a new viral disease, is showing signs of spreading globally. Last Saturday, the World Health Organization said it expected to confirm more cases of contagion as the U.N. agency expanded its scope of infection tracking. According to media reports, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox had been reported in 12 countries, causing concerns about the emergence of another infectious disease.
Monkeypox is usually mild and endemic in parts of West and Central Africa. Therefore, many experts are perplexed by its simultaneous occurrences in various parts of the world. It is spread mainly through the respiratory tract, with some experts raising the possibility of transmission by sexual intercourse. Its major symptoms are fever, chills, headaches and blistering rashes.
Korean health officials have yet to confirm a domestic infection case, but it may only be a matter of time, depending on the global spreading trend. Health authorities should raise further awareness, keeping in mind the possibility of domestic inflows. Many countries, including the U.K., the U.S. and Spain, are paying keen attention to the rare infectious disease's unusual prevalence. UNAIDS, a U.N. agency that leads global efforts to end AIDS, pointed out recently that monkeypox is a disease anyone can catch if they come into close contact with an infected person.
It is difficult to predict the spread of monkeypox, forcing some countries to express concerns that it might already be spreading in local communities. Monkeypox was found in laboratory monkeys in 1958, and the first human infections were reported in Congo in 1970. Its fatality rate ranges between 1 percent and 10 percent, depending on variants. However, officials at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Sunday they have established a testing system to prepare for domestic occurrences.
The KDCA also said it could diagnose monkeypox infections with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. However, the agency must first focus on blocking the disease's domestic inflows. It also needs to work out an efficient response system for the medical sector in advance. Now is the time for the nation to keep a close eye on the possibility of dual crises caused by COVID-19 and monkeypox.
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