2024-08-21 13:32:32
Illustration of monkeypox virus. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center/Reuters
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the spread of MPOX a public health emergency of international concern. There are many specific words for this infectious disease. What are the subtle differences between “mpox” and “monkeypox”, “clades” and “variants”, “lethality” and “mortality”? Here’s a little guide to getting there.
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Mpox, monkeypox and monkeypox
The word “mpox” is derived from “monkeypox,” which translates to French as “monkeypox,” because the disease was discovered in a group of primates in Denmark in 1958 (although later studies showed that it was not present in rodents spread more).
In 2022, the World Health Organization recommends replacing “monkeypox” with “mpox” in response to “Racist and stigmatizing comments observed online” Targeting patients, primarily the African population and the gay community. The organization also spoke of “ Monkeypox » Or “simian orthopoxvirus” (i.e. related to monkeys). The virus retains the name “monkeypox virus”.
zoonosis
a disease (usAncient Greek) an infectious disease transmitted by animals (district) is called ” zoonosis ”. This is the case with MPOX, where infection has been observed in humans after long-term exposure to contaminated animals.
It was concluded that the tendency of the virus to spread widely among mammals over large geographical areas makes it possible to find a natural host for MPOX Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. However, after studying cases of MPOX infection recorded between 1958 and 2012, Scott Parker and Mark Buller leaned toward the hypothesis of initial spread by squirrels and rodents.
Clades and variants
Clade refers to the variation of the same virus that diverged through genetic mutation. Monkeypox viruses are thus divided into clade 1 and clade 2, which can then be subdivided through evolution into subclades (named 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, etc.).
Variants can exist within the same branch – a concept that has become popular among the public during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are distinguished by surface protein modifications, which have important implications for immune protection. Currently, there are no mutations between mpox branches.
endemic disease
An organism is considered endemic when it persists in a specific geographic area for a long time. For example, koalas are said to be endemic to Australia. mpox subclade 1a is said to be endemic, as the virus has sporadically affected East and Central Africa since the 1970s.
Popularity
according to World Health Organization definitionAn epidemic is what happens when an infectious disease occurs in an area and the number of cases suddenly increases. Epidemics can be cyclical, like the seasonal flu.
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In September 2023, branch 1b emerged in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and then spread to neighboring countries.
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic that spreads across the globe and kills a large number of victims, such as AIDS or Covid-19. At this stage, the World Health Organization has not classified mpox as a pandemic; « Public health emergency of international concern ».
“Mpox is not coronavirus”, In an attempt to reassure the international organization, it has already adopted the same level of alert for Ebola and Zika, or the MPOX 2b branch that will spread outside the African continent between 2022 and 2023.
cluster
and cluster (English “cluster”, “group” or “agglomerate”) is the focus of infection in a specific area, that is “Group diseases, symptoms, or health events in local populations by time and space”, According to the French Public Health Agency. L’Institut Pasteur Limit the cluster to “Local Interpersonal Communication Center”.
Therefore, MPOX, which is mainly transmitted through sexual intercourse, spread in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where sex workers and their clients were infected, forming a cluster of infections starting in 2023.
fatality and mortality rates
To assess the risk of a disease, we focus specifically on its mortality rate, which is the percentage of infected people who die. A different number than disease mortality, which refers to the number of deaths as a percentage of the total population.
Estimates of fatality rates are limited because only confirmed cases are counted (which may ignore many patients who are asymptomatic or cannot be screened). Mortality rates from the same disease can also vary across regions and over time, depending on the quality of patient care and access to vaccinations and treatments.
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