He Ministry of Health has decided to promote vaccination against ‘mpox’ -formerly known as monkeypox-, in line with the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO). Because, despite the end of the health emergency -declared on May 11- The international organization recommends not lowering your guard. It’s the right thing to do, he says to THE SPANISH NEWSPAPER, Cristina Galvan, medical specialist in Dermatologyy member of the Fundación Lucha Contra las Infecciones, which directs the investigator Oriol Mitjà “We are very happy because there are no cases, but the alarm is thereespecially in view of the events that are coming up in June”, points out the researcher, one of the leading international experts on the disease, alluding to the celebrations of International Pride Day, which is celebrated at the end of the month.
A first note so that there is no room for misunderstandings. Dr. Galván, who works at the Mostoles University Hospital (Madrid)remember that, in November 2022, the WHO renamed the well-known like monkeypox with the name ‘mpox’, to avoid “racist or stigmatizing” comments like those that circulated this year around the global outbreak of this disease. “He made the decision to do a mega query to change the name and that it was not even stigmatizing, nor that it accused the affected party or any country. He decided that it was international, for all countries the same and that both names coexist for a year (‘mpox’ and smallpox of the monkey)but no more”.
“We all thought that the emergency was over, but now we are afraid that there will be a reactivation,” says Dr. Galván
From there, he points out that he is “totally in agreement” with the vaccination recommendations. “We have the alert and you have to be very on top, there are many opportunities -with events in the month of June, such as the Pride celebration, he repeats- skin-to-skin contact. We all thought that the emergency was over, but now we are afraid that there will be a reactivation. We are very happy because there are no casesbut the alarm continues,” he says.
Vaccine efficacy
With data as of April 4 from the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) and the World Health Organization, Europa had registered a total of 25,874 cases of ‘mpox’ in 45 countries. As of that date, Spain already reached 7,549 cases. That is why, because the alarm continues, that Dr. Galván considers the studies of vaccine efficacy like those they are working on – they still do not have conclusions because it is “complex”, precisely – together with other colleagues from Chile, Panama and Peru.
In spain Vaccination is recommended, before being exposed to the virus (pre-exposure prophylaxis), in those people susceptible to becoming infected by their sexual behaviors and practices unprotected or after having had contact with the virus (post-exposure prophylaxis), to all close contacts that they have not passed the disease. With the message ‘Monkey pox (MPOX)? Because the virus has not gone away… Think about getting vaccinated’, Health has launched a campaign so that the vaccination strategy don’t falter
avoid transmission
An initiative that also applauds the doctor Yolanda Gilabertehead of the Dermatology Service of the Miguel Servet Hospital in Zaragoza, and president of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) in conversation with THE SPANISH NEWSPAPER. In fact, the dermatologists will work with Health in the campaign, explains the specialist. “Vaccination for population at risk is fully justified to prevent transmission and you have to put emphasis on doing it”, he points out. The doctor refers to the description of a disease it was totally new for dermatologists and explains that there are several the specialists who work together with Health in a panel of experts.
Among the most outstanding researchers on the international scene is precisely Dr. Cristina Galvan. Among others, his group from the Fundación Lucha Contra las Infecciones –directed by the Catalan researcher and infectologist Oriol Mitjà-, has published a paper in the prestigious magazine ‘The Lancet’ on skin manifestations and analysis of lesions to understand transmission mode.
Besides, han published another about viral dynamicsone more about self-sampling and, he adds, ‘The Lancet’ asked them to do a seminar – in which they work together researchers from four other countriesthe most expert in the disease – about a manifestation different from the virus in people with poorly controlled HIV. “all jobs They have had a lot of impact and we are very happy“, he admits. Now, he continues, they are with that “much bigger” study on the efficacy of the vaccine.
What has the specialist learned after studying the disease in such depth? “We have to pay attention to neglected diseases. There is much talk that it is re-emerging. But, as I see it, there was endemic in some regions of Africait was ignored and there have been extra outbreaks outside endemic areas but very cut, and we have only paid attention to it when it has affected us. It’s what I usually learn from these things“.
epidemiological surveillance
He has also learned that epidemiological surveillance “is very important.” He refers to an article published just before this outbreak that warned that the curves were increasing “so that monkeypox was spreading.” becoming a threat“. Doctor Galván has also seen “that all viruses have their ability to adapt to humans And that is what has happened here: the clinic of the disease has been totally different; both the clinic and, more importantly, the mode of transmission, It depends on many different factorsbut among them are, for example, changes in sexual habitsof customs in general”.
“As seen in this outbreak, it is a very mild disease, but in people with low immunity from untreated HIV, it is horrifying. Very hard,” says the doctor.
Another “very important” thing which, he says, he is still learning, is about equity. “As seen in this outbreak, it’s a very mild disease, but in people with low immunity from untreated HIV, it’s horrifying. Very harsh,” she says. Calls for greater access to vaccines in those countries, first where there is a high incidence of HIV Second, it tends to coincide with those who have very little access to antiretroviral treatment or, even if they do have it, they lack it. health infrastructure.
As for the injuries they’ve seen, she herself participated in an international registry of cases. She explains that they usually appear in the area of the skin where it has been acquired. contagion by contactbut it is not uncommon for a few days later to appear a second wave of injuries in scattered places of the skin, different from the initial contagion. These new lesions are therefore at a different evolutionary moment than the initials.
“That’s very different from what you saw in monkeypox that we knew about before – she has always been very vigilant because she has worked much in rural areas of Africa- and he admits that when he has suspected this diagnosis, because they did not have access to PCR confirmation, all injuries were at the same evolutionary moment, unlike the ‘mpox’ of the current outbreak that, frequently, presents lesions at different evolutionary moments”, he concludes.
2023-06-03 04:50:24
#dermatologist #mpox #happy #cases #alarm
