Monkeypox outbreak -Is this another pandemic?
https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njpar.v44i1.8
Keywords:
Poxvirus, Pandemic, Outbreak, MonkeypoxAbstract
The WHO declares a pandemic when there is a community transmission of a disease that is occurring in at least two countries in two WHO regions. This research evaluated the current (year 2022) outbreak of monkeypox against the criteria of a pandemic and suggests necessary health interventions. Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, causing diseases in humans similar to smallpox. Since its discovery in humans in 1970, several outbreaks have occurred with the most recent spreading widely to non-endemic areas and fulfilling the WHO criteria for phase 6 of an outbreak as high cases of infections were seen in Europe and America. Although, the pandemic from monkeypox may not be remarkable because the basic reproductive number, attack, and case fatality rates are much lower than some of the previous pandemics. However, it should not be underestimated, as spread to vulnerable groups may be detrimental. It is therefore important for the health systems of countries to develop a pandemic preparedness and response plan for monkeypox and continue to monitor the outbreak with a prompt response when needed.
References
Last, J. M. editor. (2001). A dictionary of epidemiology, 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Centre for Disease Control (2012). Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, 3rd Edition, Section 11: Epidemic Disease Occurrence. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/le sson1/section11.html (Accessed 27th June 2022)
Liverpool, L. (2021). Pandemic: An infectious disease epidemic that spreads across multiple countries. Available from: https://www.newscientist.com/definition/pandemic/ (Accessed 13th July 2022)
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. (2021). Epidemic, Endemic, Pandemic: What are the Differences? Available from:
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/epidemic-endemicpandemic-what-are-differ nces (Accessed
th June 2022)
Riley, E. (2021). What Is a Pandemic? Definition, Examples, and How It Compares to an Epidemic. Available from: https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/covid-19/what-does-pandemic-mean-withexamples-vs-epidemic (Accessed 13th July 2022)
Health Direct (2022). What is a pandemic? Available from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/what-is-apandemic (Accessed 13th July 2022)
World Health Organization (2009). The WHO Pandemic Phases Pandemic. In Influenza Preparedness and Response: A WHO Guidance Document. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization Press. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK143061/
Nath, P., Kabir,A., Khoubafarin Doust, S., Kreais, Z. J., and Ray,A. (2020). Detection of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens Using Photonic Point-of-Care Devices. Diagnostics (Basel) 10(10):841. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics10100841.
Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford. (2022). Our World in Data: Monkeypox Data Explorer. Available from: https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/monkeypox?tab=table&time=2022-05-24..latest&facet=none&Metric=Confirmed
+cases&Frequency=Cumulative&Relative+to+population=false&country=~OWID_WRL(Accessed 14th July 2022)
Berthet, N., Descorps-Declère, S., Besombes, C., Curaudeau, M., Nkili Meyong, A. A., Selekon, B., Labouba, I., Gonofio, E. C., Ouilibona, R. S., Simo Tchetgna, H. D., Feher, M., Fontanet, A., Kazanji, M., Manuguerra, J. C., Hassanin, A., Gessain, A., and Nakoune, E. (2021). Genomic history of human monkeypox infections in the CentralAfrican Republic between 2001 and 2018. Scientific Reports 11(1):13085. doi: 10.1038/s41598-
-92315-8.
Walter, K., and Malani, P. N. (2022). What Is Monkeypox? Journal of the American Medical Association 328(2):222. doi:
1001/jama.2022.10259.
Martín-Delgado, M. C., Martín Sánchez, F. J., Martínez-Sellés, M., Molero García, J. M., Moreno Guillén, S., RodríguezArtalejo, F. J., Ruiz-Galiana, J., Cantón, R., De Lucas Ramos, P., García-Botella, A., García-Lledó, A., HernándezSampelayo, T., Gómez-Pavón, J., González Del Castillo, J., Muñoz, P., Valerio, M., Catalán, P., Burillo,A., Cobo, A., Alcamí, A., and Bouza, E. (2022). Monkeypox in humans: a new outbreak.
Revista española de quimioterapia: publicación oficial de la Sociedad Española de Quimioterapia martin06jul2022. doi: 10.37201/req/059.2022.
World Health Organisation. (2022). Monkeypox. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/monkeypox (Accessed 13th July 2022)
Alakunle, E., Moens, U., Nchinda, G., and Okeke, M. I. (2020). “Monkeypox Virus in Nigeria: Infection Biology, Epidemiology, and Evolution”. Viruses 5;12(11):1257. doi: 10.3390/v12111257.
Breman, J. G., Kalisa-Ruti, Steniowski, M. V., Zanotto, E., Gromyko, A. I., and Arita, I. (1980). “Human monkeypox, 1970-79”. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 58(2):165-82.
Durski, K. N., McCollum, A. M., Nakazawa, Y., Petersen, B. W., Reynolds, M. G., Briand, S., Djingarey, M. H., Olson, V., Damon, I. K., and Khalakdina, A. (2018). Emergence of Monkeypox - West and Central Africa, 1970-2017. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 67:306–310.
doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6710a5
World Health Organization (2022). Multicountry monkeypox outbreak in nonendemic countries. Available from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseaseoutbreak-news/item/2022-DON385 (Accessed 13th July 2022)
World Health Organization (2022). Multicountry monkeypox outbreak: situation update. Available from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseaseoutbreak-news/item/2022-DON396#:~:text=Outbreak%20at%20a%20glance,territories%20in%20five%20WHO%20Regions (Accessed 13th July 2022)
Grant, R., Nguyen, L. L., and Breban, R. (2020). Modelling human-to-human transmission of monkeypox. Bulletin of theWorld Health Organization 98(9):638-640. doi: 10.2471/BLT.19.242347
Aronson, J. K., Brassey, J., and Mahtani,K. R. (2020). “When will it be over?”: An introduction to viral reproduction numbers, R0 and Re. Available from: https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/when-willit-be-over-an-introduction-to-viralreproduction-numbers-r0-and-re/(Accessed 13th July 2022)
Achaiah, N. C., Subbarajasetty, S. B., and Shetty, R. M. (2020). R0 and Re of COVID- 19: Can We Predict When the Pandemic
Outbreak will be Contained? Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine 24(11):1125- 1127. doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10071- 23649.
Beer, E. M., and Rao, V. B. (2019). A systematic review of the epidemiology ofhuman monkeypox outbreaks and implications for outbreak strategy. PLoS Neglected Tropical Disease 13(10):e0007791.doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0007791
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Monkeypox and Smallpox Vaccine Guidance. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/smallpox-vaccine.html (Accessed 13th July 2022)
Lee G. (2020). Smallpox, Monkeypox, and Other Poxvirus Infections. In GoldmanCecil Medicine. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceuticalscience/monkeypox/ (Accessed 13th July
Jezek, Z., Grab, B., Szczeniowski, M. V., Paluku, K. M., and Mutombo, M. (1988). Human monkeypox: secondary attack rates.
Bulletin of the World Health Organization 66(4):465-70.
World Health Organization (2022). Smallpox. Available from: https://www.who.int/teams/health-productand-policy-standards/standards-and specifications/vaccine-standardization/smallpox#:~:text=Two%20forms%20of%20the%20disease,most%20prominent%20on%20the%20face. (Accessed 13th July 2022)
Alimohamadi, Y., Tola, H. H., AbbasiGhahramanloo, A., Janani, M., and Sepandi, M. (2021). Case fatality rate of COVID-19: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene 62(2):E31 - E320. doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.2.1627.
World Health Organization (2022). Meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country monkeypox outbreak. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/25-06- 2022-meeting-of-the-international-healthregulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-- regarding-the-multi-country-monkeypoxoutbreak (Accessed 13th July 2022)
Petersen, B. W., Kabamba, J., McCollum, A. M., Lushima, R.S., Wemakoy, E. O., Muyembe Tamfum, J. J., Nguete, B., Hughes, C. M., Monroe, B. P., and Reynolds, M. G. (2019). Vaccinating against monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Antiviral Research 162: 171 - 177.doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.11.004.
World Health Organization (2022). MultiCountry Outbreak of Monkeypox, External Situation Report #1. Available from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/situation -reports (Accessed 18th October 2022).
Lin, J., Li, G., Zhong, P., Zeng, Q., Liu, L., and Chen, L. (2022). Bibliometric analysis of human monkeypox research from 1975 to 2022 and novel prevention and control strategies. Frontiers in Public Health, 10:995965.doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.995965.
Holloway, I. W. (2022). Lessons for Community- Based Scale- Upof Monkeypox Vaccination from Previous Disease Outbreaks Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States. American Journal of Public Health,112(11):1572-1575. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2022.307075.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Nigerian Journal of Parasitology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
