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Monkeypox: UN organization criticizes reports as homophobic

Monkeypox: UN organization criticizes reports as homophobic

Is monkeypox the new AIDS? At least as far as transmission routes and stigmata are concerned, the diseases have something in common. A UN organization now fears a new wave of racist and homophobic attacks. Meanwhile, the number of suspected cases in Europe and Germany is increasing.

The UN organization Unaids has criticized some reports and comments on monkeypox cases as homophobic and racist. The organization warned on Sunday that stigmatizing the virus infection could “quickly undermine the fight against the epidemic”. While a large proportion of monkeypox cases confirmed to date affect gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, the disease can be transmitted through close contact with an infected person and “hence affects anyone.”

The UN agency fears that stigma and allegations can quickly affect science- and evidence-based efforts to fight the disease. Racist or homophobic attacks “create a cycle of fear”. This makes people avoid health centers, which makes it harder to limit the spread, Unaids explained. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 90 infections had been confirmed as of Saturday in countries where the virus, native to west and central Africa, is not normally found.

“Happened with international distribution”

So far, three cases of infection have been detected in Germany – after the first in Bavaria, two more followed on Saturday in Berlin. The first suspected case was also confirmed in Austria. And the German Federal Ministry of Health expects more cases. “Due to the many contacts of those currently infected, further illnesses are to be expected in Europe and also in Germany,” says a report for the health committee of the Bundestag. As of Sunday afternoon, there are now four confirmed cases of infection and illness in Germany – one in Munich and three in Berlin. Samples from other people are being clarified. Contact persons would be identified.

“It is now an event with international distribution,” says the ministry report, which is available to the German Press Agency. In numerous countries, more than 130 confirmed cases and suspected cases have been detected, “and the trend is increasing every day”. So far, the West African monkeypox variant has been detected in the infections found in Europe, but further genome analyzes are still ongoing.

In order to register possible diseases and prevent further spread, diagnosed cases of infection should be systematically recorded and isolated. These should be reported by doctors and laboratories in accordance with the Infection Protection Act.

RKI: low risk for the population

“A smallpox vaccination probably also protects against monkeypox,” explains the ministry. In the Federal Republic it was compulsory for one-year-olds until 1975, in the GDR compulsory vaccination was lifted in 1982. The federal government has about 100 million doses of smallpox vaccine in stock, according to the report. Of these, two million doses were donated to the World Health Organization (WHO) and stored for them. The extent to which smallpox vaccination is recommended for contact persons and risk groups is still the subject of technical clarification.

The ministry refers to the risk assessment already published by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), according to which the risk to the health of the general population in Germany is considered to be low based on current knowledge.

According to health authorities, the virus usually causes only mild symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain and skin rash. However, monkeypox can also have severe courses, and fatal illnesses are possible in individual cases. The pathogen is mainly transmitted via direct contact or contact with contaminated materials.

Source: Stern

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