An increasing number of cases of monkeypox have been reported since early May. A striking feature: among the cases known to date, there is a disproportionate number of men who have sex with men. This could be a mere coincidence.
After the first case of monkeypox in the UK in early May, cases of the viral infection have been increasing around the world. Among the cases known to date, a disproportionate number of men have sex with men. There is still no explanation as to why this group is particularly affected. It could also be a mere coincidence.
What is certain: The virus is transmitted from person to person through close physical contact. Experts consider the outbreak outside of Africa to be unusual because chains of infection between people are unusual. It is also striking that most of those affected have not traveled to West or Central Africa, where small outbreaks of monkeypox have occurred in the past.
Monkeypox infection through close physical contact
The monkeypox virus doesn’t care about sexual orientation – anyone who has close physical contact with another person who has symptoms can contract the virus. For example via larger droplets, body fluids or the crusts of the rash. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), all genders and age groups are equally susceptible to the virus.
Nevertheless, after the first cases became known, the RKI called on men who have sex with men to be particularly careful. If you have skin changes, you should definitely consult a doctor. However, this request does not mean that only men who have same-sex sex can become infected. It’s purely a precautionary measure – but one that women and men alike should take into account, regardless of their sexual preferences.
Problematic: In the current outbreak, the detailed chains of infection are still largely unclear, says virologist Stephan Becker from the University of Marburg to the “German Press Agency”. The virus currently seems to be spreading mainly between homosexual or bisexual men, says Becker. However, intimate contact is only one possibility of transmission – it may be a coincidence that the virus was first carried among this group of people and then continued to circulate, especially among gays.
It is securely documented: The first case of the current outbreak was confirmed by the British health authority UK Health Security Agency on May 7th. The man was previously in Nigeria. But he had no contact with the other cases in Britain. A possible explanation: The virus was brought to Great Britain several times.
No sexual transmission proven
In 2017, Nigerian researchers suspected that sexual transmission might be possible because several patients had genital ulcers. So far, however, no sexual transmission of monkeypox has been proven. Fernando Simón, head of the Spanish Health Ministry’s coordination center for health alerts and emergencies, reports in Science magazine that all seven cases in Spain reported on May 19 involved one group: men who have sex with men and transgender people who attended sex parties. “Most cases have lesions only around the genitals, anus and mouth,” says Simón. However, there is no indication that the virus is transmitted via semen. “So far, the most acceptable hypothesis is that it is transmitted after contact with lesions, such as the pustules and smallpox on the skin.” The transmission can also have taken place via close physical contact without sex.
David Heymann is Chair of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards with Pandemic and Epidemic Potential of the World Health Organization (WHO). He explains that the WHO is investigating whether the cases identified so far have been caused by sexual contact. “What appears to be happening now is that the monkeypox virus has entered the population as a sexual form, as a genital form, and is spreading, as are sexually transmitted infections, which has increased its transmission around the world,” David Heymann told “Reuters”.
More research needed to understand monkeypox outbreak
However, the current outbreak of monkeypox needs to be investigated further and the chains of infection traced. This is the only way scientists can find out how the outbreak happened in several countries and whether the virus can also be transmitted through sexual contact.
According to the current state of knowledge, experts do not assume that there will be an epidemic in Europe. dr Charlotte Hammer from Downing College Cambridge in Great Britain says about the “Science Media Center”: “There are still large gaps in knowledge about the types of transmission. Based on the current state of knowledge, according to which the current cases are said to be the West African version of monkeypox It can be assumed that transmission occurs via close physical contact such as bodily fluids or contact with a rash, but smear infection on surfaces is also possible.”
She says she can’t say anything specific about the development of the current outbreak because it’s too early. “However, further cases are to be expected. If the transmission paths are via close physical contact, as previously assumed, a major outbreak is rather unlikely. In certain population groups in which there is a lot of physical contact, for example due to living in a small space, the risk of infection is of course higher. “
Sources:, , , , , with material from the dpa
Source: Stern
