Evaluate the possibility of vaccinating the highest-risk contacts - primarily health workers - and triggering the quarantine under certain circumstances.
These are the indications contained in the new update circular on monkeypox issued by the Ministry of Health. In Italy there are six cases ascertained and taken over by Spallanzani of Rome. No alarm at the moment, the Lazio Region reiterates, but the infectious disease surveillance system is in a "state of maximum attention".
EU BUY VACCINES AND ANTIVIRALS
In the meantime, the Spanish Ministry of Health has announced that the EU will purchase vaccines and antivirals to make them available to member states and thus help deal with the management of cases that have appeared in various countries. The vaccine that will be bought is Imvanex , which is manufactured by a Danish company. Overall, 68 confirmed cases have been reported in eight EU states as of 23 May and at least another 42 suspected cases are under investigation. However, the infections have continued to grow in recent days and are also reported in the USA, Canada, Australia, Switzerland and Israel.
There are currently no deaths. But attention remains high and the ministry warns that the likelihood of further spread of the virus through close contact, such as during sexual activities , "is considered high", while the likelihood of transmission between individuals without close contact is low. . In the current human outbreak, the circular specifies, the nature of the lesions present in some cases suggests that the transmission took place precisely "during sexual intercourse".
THE CIRCULAR
Among the countermeasures envisaged, the ministerial circular indicates that post-exposure vaccination , "ideally within four days of exposure, can be considered for higher risk contacts such as healthcare workers, including laboratory staff, after careful evaluation of the risks and benefits ". In some contexts , quarantine may also be envisaged.
It is also possible to use antivirals as part of experimental protocols, especially for the immunosuppressed or for those with severe symptoms.
The ministry specifies 21-day monitoring of case contacts and a stop to blood donations by asymptomatic contacts. All contacts are then advised not to have close relationships with pregnant women, children and fragile subjects. The circular also highlights that transmission from humans to companion animals is "theoretically possible". In short, the situation needs to be monitored but, affirms the infectious disease specialist Massimo Galli , " it is certainly not a virus that is a candidate to generate a pandemic , such as the coronavirus".
(Unioneonline / L)