Monkeypox May Have Spread From Person To Person

click2houston.com ^ | 06/12/03

[Orange1998]

For the first time in the United States, monkeypox may have spread from person-to-person.

A southeastern Wisconsin health care worker may have contracted monkeypox from a human patient, state epidemiologist Jeff Davis said.

MONKEYPOX Afraid Of Monkeypox? Fact Sheet CDC Info. WHO Info. Guidelines For Vets, Pet Owners

Previously, U.S. patients with monkeypox contracted the disease from infected animals.

Davis declined to identify the health care worker or where the worker was located.

He said health officials and scientists haven't confirmed the presence of the monkeypox virus in the worker, but they suspect it and are still testing tissue specimens.

Although the virus has been shown to spread among humans in Africa, experts say it's not the primary transmission method. Instead, the virus generally passes among infected animals, and then from the animals to humans who have contact with them.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 54 suspected cases of the disease in four states -- nine of them confirmed. About 10 people have been hospitalized.

With more cases of monkeypox being suspected, federal health officials are moving more aggressively to prevent it from spreading further.

The government has issued a ban on selling rodents from Africa as pets in the United States. The rodents are apparently the source of the virus.

Gambian rats and five other types of large African rodents are included in the ban because a Gambian rat is believed to have spread the virus to prairie dogs, which are actually rodents and are native to the American Plains. Some people keep prairie dogs as pets.

The government also issued a ban on the sale or movement of prairie dogs between states and within state boundaries.

The CDC recommends smallpox vaccinations for people who have come in contact with infected persons or animals. The smallpox vaccine can prevent monkeypox up to two weeks after exposure, but it's most effective in the first four days.

The CDC said studies have shown that smallpox vaccination is about 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox. But the agency expects the number of people who will need the vaccine to be modest.

Monkeypox is a virus related to smallpox, but its symptoms are more mild. In Africa, the mortality rate has shown to be between 1 and 10 percent.

"Monkeypox can be a serious illness, and it has not been previously seen in humans in this hemisphere. CDC and a team of expert advisors carefully weighed the risk of smallpox vaccination against the risks posed by exposure to monkeypox infection in arriving at this important decision," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC director.

The agency also issued guidelines for people who own prairie dogs or other exotic pets. Under no circumstances should they release their pets into the wild. If the pets are ill, owners should contact their state health departments for guidance.

"The biggest risk here, what we're trying to avoid is inadvertently introducing monkeypox into the natural wildlife system in this country. So do not, do not release sick animals out into the wild," said Dr. David Fleming, deputy director for CDC, at a press conference Wednesday.

In general, the CDC is recommending euthanasia for animals diagnosed with monkeypox.

[iceskater]

thanks, I was just about to say the same thing.

[aristeides]

The authorities were denying there had been any demonstrated human-to-human transmission in this outbreak, because all the infected people of whom they were aware had had contact with infected animals, and they presumably wanted to avoid panic (even though we know from Africa that human-to-human transmission of monkeypox is eminently possible). But now that we know there has been a case of human-to-human transmission in this outbreak, I am all the more inclined to believe that the parents of the 3-year-old caught monkeypox from her, not from the prairie dogs.

[jacquej]

Ari, I am getting pretty suspicious. Are you?

[twigs]

My first case of chicken pox was mild, and I got it again as a child, this time a very bad case. THEN I got shingles as a teen-ager. Needless to say, I was nervous when my then-small child got chicken pox. But thankfully, I was through and have not gotten any pox again.

[Former Proud Canadian]

I think the theory is that smallpox vaccine gives one immunity against the whole pox family of diseases.

[BulletBobCo]

The spreading of monkeypox!

[aristeides]

90% of the population of Gambia is Moslem. I wonder who chose the Gambian rats to send to this country.

[blam]

"Hummm. I thought CDC said it could not be passed from human to human."

Yup, they got caught. They know the track record of this disease in Africa and that includes human - human transmission.

[jacquej]

That is exactly what i was wondering. Also, why the CDC is giving out wrong info, and when the media is going to start asking some thoughtful questions about all these problems.

Do you suppose our "health defense system" is being "pinged", just o see how we respond? The thought has crossed my mind once or twice. Or, another way to wonder about it might be "beta test"

Whatever, it is probably time to do our homework on monkeypox. What domestic animals might be vulnerable. vetvetdoug might be helpful here!

[IYAAYAS]

Anyone know the medical lingo for smallpox vaccination? I still have my military shot records. One of the 2000 shots must have been for smallpox.

[Prince Charles]

Look for the word "vaccinia."

[PBRSTREETGANG]

If chickenpox gives you shingles later in life I wonder what Monkeypox give you.

It's rumored that you slowly go bananas.

[blam]

"Anyone know the medical lingo for smallpox vaccination? I still have my military shot records. One of the 2000 shots must have been for smallpox."

Sorry, don't know. Got mine in the early 50's.

[aristeides]

Suspected Monkeypox Case in Tri-State:

The Butler County patient, who had contact with a wallaby, is classified as a suspect case. This means the patient was exposed to an exotic pet and has either a rash or two of the symptoms.

Would be surprising if a marsupial like a wallaby could harbor the same virus as more advanced mammals.

[Betty Jo]

Now, now, we cant be profiling and discriminatory, and politically incorrect and paranoid!

[Betty Jo]

Tie me wallaby down, mate, tie me wallaby down.

I can't remember the rest of the song...maybe "Waltzing Matilda?

[Betty Jo]

Are these the dry runs , the tests to watch and see how we respond?

I am betting the farm the answer is yes.

All of the dots are connecting perfectly.

When all of the Bin Laden medical matrix charactors are googled an amazing cyber-biotech-healthcare web is documented.

The terrs have embedded themselves decades ago in these industries,and our armed forces.

They know more about us than most of us do.

I think a critical mass is about to pop.

[IYAAYAS]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030612/sc_nm/health_monkeypox_dc_1

Looks like we're over 60.

Prince Charles, Thanks for the info.

[_Jim]

There's much we're not being told.

That's probably because you 1) don't hold the proper clearance level and 2) you have no legitimate need to know ...

[_Jim]

Are these the dry runs , the tests to watch and see how we respond?

Yes ... and so far you're doing poorly ...