Monkeypox Outbreak: Asymptomatic infection can be a cause of concern, reveals study

India

oi-Deepika S

New
York,
Aug
16:
Monkeypox
is
transmitted
by
close
contact
with
people
who
have
symptomatic
infection,
and
all
those
infected
are
assumed
to
show
symptoms.
But
recent
studies
have
revealed
that
people
can
be
infected
with
monkeypox
without
showing
any
of
the
typical
or
atypical
symptoms.

A
study
conducted
in
Belgium
show
that
certain
cases
of
monkeypox
remain
undiagnosed
and
asymptomatic.
While
The
other
study
in
France
points
out
that
the
practice
of
“ring
postexposure”
vaccination
around
symptomatic
persons
with
probable
or
confirmed
monkeypox
infection
may
not
be
sufficient
to
contain
the
spread.

Reacting
to
the
studies,
experts
have
called
for
the
need
for
high-alert,
surveillance,
and
strategies
for
the
assessment
of
risk
and
prevention
against
the
outbreak.

First
study

Titled
“Restrospective
detection
of
asymptomatic
monkeypox
virus
infections
among
male
sexual
health
clinic
attendees
in
Belgium”,
the
study
suggests
“a
lack
of
recognised,
clinical
symptoms
could
play
a
role
in
virus
transmission
and
the
magnitude
of
the
2020
monkeypox
virus
outbreak”.

“The
magnitude
of
the
2022
multi-country
monkeypox
virus
outbreak
has
surpassed
any
preceding
outbreak.
It
is
unclear
whether
asymptomatic
or
otherwise
undiagnosed
infections
are
fuelling
this
epidemic,”
said
the
article
published
in
the
medical
journal
Nature.

Second
study

Another
report
from
France
was
published
in
the
journal
Annals
of
Internal
Medicine
on
August
16.
The
study
aimed
to
assess
the
presence
of
the
monkeypox
virus
in
samples
among
asymptomatic
MSM
(men
who
have
sex
with
men)
routinely
tested
for
bacterial
sexually
transmitted
infections.

“Of
the
187
asymptomatic
participants
who
tested
negative
for
the
virus,
3
presented
to
our
clinic
more
than
3
weeks
after
the
initial
monkeypox-negative
anal
swab
with
symptoms
suggestive
of
monkeypox
infection
and
tested
positive,”
the
report
said.