Posted on 06/10/2003 3:01:30 PM PDT by FairOpinion
As if SARS, mad cow and West Nile virus were not enough, Health Canada is advising public health officials to be on the lookout for monkeypox, a serious disease related to smallpox, which has made its first appearance in North America.
No cases have been reported in Canada, but an advisory is being sent to medical officials and public health labs across the country about an "epidemic" in the U.S. and the need to watch for the disease, said Dr. Frank Plummer, head of Health Canada's national microbiology laboratory in Winnipeg.
Thirty-seven people in the U.S. Midwest are believed to be infected with the virus, which they picked up from pet prairie dogs. The prairie dogs are believed to have contracted the virus from Gambian giant-pouched rats from Africa, imported by an exotic pet dealer in the Chicago area.
The pets passed on the virus to their owners. One four-year-old girl was nipped on the finger. Both she and her parents developed monkeypox.
Seven people have been hospitalized, but no one has died.
The disease, which manifests itself as blisters on the skin, high fevers, drenching sweat and headaches, is also considered a potential bioterror agent. However, the outbreak doesn't appear to be bioterrorism.
Steve Ostroff, deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases, said he expects the number of cases to rise as human and animal samples are tested. But Dr. Ostroff said only people who had direct contact with infected prairie dogs, or in one case a rabbit, have come down with the illness.
"For the average citizen, I would not necessarily be concerned at this point of being exposed to monkeypox."
Disease specialists say there is a good chance the virus can be contained if all the infected animals can be found and destroyed. But if it gets loose in wild prairie dogs, which are widespread on the Prairies, authorities will have to deal with another serious exotic disease.
"I'd say that could be a health crisis, depending how well it spreads," says professor Grant McFadden, a specialist in pox diseases at the University of Western Ontario, in London.
He says the disease is a "much more serious" for humans than West Nile. The death rate for monkeypox has been known to be as high as 10 per cent in Africa, though the strain on the loose in the U.S. appears to be less virulent.
If the virus were to get into the wild, Mr. McFadden might have to consider vaccinating people with smallpox vaccine, which protects against both that disease and monkeypox. There is a stockpile of the vaccine available in Canada, but doctors are not anxious to use it because the vaccine can have serious health effects.
Mr. McFadden says he was "shocked" to learn the virus had arrived in the U.S. But he said it should be "fairly controllable."
"If they can round up all the infected animals that should be the end of it," he said.
The U.S. pet distributor, Phillip Moberley, has reported that he voluntarily quarantined his home-based business and killed 70 prairie dogs.
Dr. Plummer said Canadian officials were not given a heads-up about the outbreak from the CDC. "It would have been good to have known a bit of ahead of time," he said, adding he learned about the outbreak on the Internet and by media reports.
Facts About the Monkeypox Virus
- The incubation period is about 12 days.
- The symptoms start with fever, headache, body aches, chills, drenching sweat and sometimes a cough. This is followed one to 10 days later by a rash with pustules that eventually crust over. They can occur almost anywhere on the body.
- In Africa, fatality rates range from one per cent to 10 per cent. In the current U.S. outbreak, no one has died.
- The smallpox vaccine is effective at stopping infection. Those who got vaccinated before smallpox shots were discontinued in the 1970s may still have at least partial protection.
- In the U.S. outbreak, victims caught the virus through close contact with sick animals. Most handled the animals and were bitten or had breaks in their skin.
- The virus can be passed from from person to person, especially if they have sores.
- In Africa, squirrels are thought to be a common source of the virus. Rabbits and rodents can also carry it, as well as apes and monkeys. The disease was first identified in monkeys.
- To avoid catching the virus, avoid contact with prairie dogs or Gambian giant rats that appear sick, especially if they are missing patches of fur, have rashes or have a discharge from their eyes or nose. Wash hands thoroughly after contact with these or any sick animals.
... sounds like it might be a veritable killer in coffee table book circles ... sales are bound to 'look up' when you 'open' ... if stiff competition doesn't bury you later on you will make a killing ...
The prairie dog, which has been linked to the monkeypox outbreak in the United States, is a favourite pet among some Malaysians, according to China Press. It said the prairie dogs, available in pet shops in Kuala Lumpur, were imported from the United States. One pet shop owner said the prairie dog, priced at RM500 each, was a “fast moving” item.
Oh boy. Unless Malaysia gets their prairie dogs from Phil's Pocket Pets there is no danger of spreading the virus to prairie dogs exported to Malaysia.
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