Warning. Are we in the early days of a new global health emergency? Following numerous reported cases of monkey pox (monkeypox) across Europe this week, and as Belgium went so far as to impose a strict 21-day quarantine on travelers with confirmed infection, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged travelers to certain destinations to be vigilant due to the emerging threat.
According to the travel website “Travel off Path”, monkeypox is a disease classified by the World Health Organization as “of global public health importance”. Although it mainly affects countries in West and Central Africa, it is also present in other parts of the world, with the identification of new clusters in Europe and North America, where it is not is not yet endemic, which worries health experts.
A new global health threat
In addition to health warnings issued by several countries such as the United Kingdom, the CDC has officially recognized monkeypox as a potentially disruptive pathogen and has issued its own travel alert to certain destinations in Europe and elsewhere, underlines the same source, indicating that the American organization has reported cases of monkey pox in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland .
Monkeypox has also reached the United States, less than a month following the identification of the first centers of infection in Europe. For this reason, the CDC added the affected countries to the Tier 2 category, before issuing a Tier 3 travel warning.
According to Travel off Path, this means that when traveling to all listed European countries, as well as Australia, Canada and Israel, US citizens must now “take enhanced precautions” to avoid monkeypox. This is a first for these destinations, as monkeypox was mainly limited until recently to a number of African countries.
Belgium was the first country to act, requiring a mandatory 21-day quarantine for travelers with confirmed monkeypox infection.
The ECDC, the European equivalent of the CDC, is also monitoring the situation closely, as the number of cases across Europe tops 100 – with a large concentration in Spain and Portugal.
Curiously, recent cases have not been linked to travel to countries in Central or West Africa, Travel off Path notes, “where monkeypox is commonly present,” such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Nigeria. This is a strong indication that there is community transmission in Europe and the North American continents.
LGBTQ+ urged to exercise greater caution when traveling
Corroborating other findings from health authorities in foreign countries, the CDC mentions that a considerable number of cases have been reported among homosexuals, because sexual interaction with an infected person greatly increases transmission. In fact, the first European clusters probably spread through risky sexual behavior.
Due to early infection trends, gay travelers should exercise extra caution, given that Spain happens to be one of the safest destinations for them, and therefore a leader in LGBTQ+ tourism. That said, anyone can be infected, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, as “cases have also been reported in people living in the same household as an infected person”.
How is monkeypox transmitted and what does the CDC advise?
It is enough to come into close contact with a person who has an active infection, and particularly noticeable rashes and scabs caused by the disease. It can also be transmitted through bodily fluids such as pus or blood from open lesions, which are common throughout the infection. However, scientists have not yet established that the disease can be transmitted through semen.
While most patients recover without any long-term complications, monkeypox scabs can leave scars once they fall off.
As the World Health Organization indicates, carriers of the virus are more contagious when they show symptoms, much like Covid, and “normally for two to four weeks”. Touching contaminated clothing, bedding, towels and objects such as cutlery and crockery has also been recognized as vectors of infection.
When traveling to Spain, France, Portugal, or any other destination on the aforementioned list, the CDC now advises travelers to avoid close contact with sick people, especially those with skin or genital lesions, to touch wild animals, dead or alive, such as rats, squirrels, monkeys and great apes, or handling objects used by people infected with monkeypox because they might be contaminated.
However, Travel off Path points out, despite the warnings, the CDC believes that “the risk to the general public is low”.
Regardless, travelers are advised to seek immediate medical attention when they develop known symptoms of monkeypox. These can manifest as fever, chills, fatigue, and new syphilis-like lesions on any part of the body.
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