2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Chile
| 2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Chile | |
|---|---|
 Confirmed and suspected cases by region. | |
| Disease | Mpox |
| Virus strain | Monkeypox virus (West African clade) |
| Location | Chile |
| Index case | Santiago de Chile |
| Arrival date | June 17, 2022–present (2 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 6 days) |
| Confirmed cases | 1,442[1] |
| Suspected cases‡ | 26[1] |
| Hospitalized cases | 400[1] |
| Recovered | 1,442[1] |
Deaths | 3[1] |
| Government website | |
| Monkeypox Epidemiological Situation Report (in Spanish) | |
| ‡Suspected cases have not been confirmed by laboratory tests as being due to this strain, although some other strains may have been ruled out. | |
The 2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Chile is a part of the outbreak of human mpox caused by the West African clade of the monkeypox virus. The outbreak reached Chile on 17 June 2022.[2]
Background
[edit]Mpox (/ˈɛmpɒks/, EM-poks; formerly known as monkeypox)[3] is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. The illness is usually mild, and most infected individuals recover within a few weeks without treatment. The time from exposure to the onset of symptoms ranges from three to seventeen days, and symptoms typically last from two to four weeks. However, cases may be severe, especially in children, pregnant women, or people with suppressed immune systems.[4][5][6]
The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus, a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, which causes smallpox, is also in this genus.[7] Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infected skin or body fluids, including sexual contact.[7] People remain infectious from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and healed.[4] The virus may spread from infected animals through handling infected meat or via bites or scratches.[4] Diagnosis can be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing a lesion for the virus's DNA.[7]
Vaccination is recommended for those at high risk of infection.[7] No vaccine has been developed specifically against mpox, but smallpox vaccines have been found to be effective.[8] There is no specific treatment for the disease, so the aim of treatment is to manage the symptoms and prevent complications.[7][9] Antiviral drugs such as tecovirimat can be used to treat mpox,[7] although their effectiveness has not been proved.[10]An ongoing outbreak of mpox was confirmed on May 6, 2022, beginning with a British resident who, after travelling to Nigeria (where the disease is endemic), presented symptoms consistent with mpox on April 29, 2022. The resident returned to the United Kingdom on May 4, creating the country's index case of the outbreak.[11] The origin of several of the cases of mpox in the United Kingdom is unknown. Some monitors saw community transmission taking place in the London area as of mid-May,[12] but it has been suggested that cases were already spreading in Europe in the previous months.[13]
Transmission
[edit]
A large portion of those infected were believed to have not recently traveled to areas of Africa where mpox is normally found, such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as central and western Africa. It is believed to be transmitted by close contact with sick people, with extra caution for those individuals with lesions on their skin or genitals, along with their bedding and clothing. The CDC has also stated that individuals should avoid contact and consumption of dead animals such as rats, squirrels, monkeys and apes along with wild game or lotions derived from animals in Africa.[14]
In addition to more common symptoms, such as fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes or lesions, some patients have also experienced proctitis, an inflammation of the rectum lining. CDC has also warned clinicians to not rule out mpox in patients with sexually transmitted infections since there have been reports of co-infections with syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and herpes.[15]
History
[edit]The first case of infection was recorded on June 17 in Santiago de Chile after an adult with a history of travel to Europe presented symptoms
Statistics
[edit]
| Region | Cases |
|---|---|
 Santiago Metropolitan Region
|
732 |
 Araucanía
|
10 |
 Antofagasta
|
14 |
 Valparaíso Region
|
25 |
 O'Higgins
|
6 [16] |
 Coquimbo
|
21 [17] |
 Los Lagos Region
|
3 [18] |
 Maule Region
|
6 (+2) |
 Biobío Region
|
14 |
 Los Ríos Region
|
2 (+1) |
 Ñuble Region
|
2 (+1) |
| Date | Total Cases | Cases in RM | Cases outside of RM | New / daily avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02-08-22 | 68 | 62 | 6 | — |
| 05-08-22 | 91 | 83 | 9 (+3) | 5 |
| 09-08-22 | 126 | 116 | 10 (+1) | 8 |
| 12-08-22 | 141 | 130 | 11 (+1) | 3 |
| 15-08-22 | 189 | 176 | 13 (+2) | 12 |
| 19-08-22 | 207 | 194 | 13 | 4 |
| 23-08-22 | 270 | 194 | 13 | 15 |
| 26-08-22 | 344 | 317 | 27 (+14) | 18 |
| 30-08-22 | 381 | 354 | 27 | 9 |
| 02-09-22 | 450 | 404 | 46 (+19) | 17 |
| 06-09-22 | 484 | — | 46 | 8 |
| 23-09-22 | 842 | 732 | 110 | — |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Informe ejecutivo | Viruela del mono | Chile, 30 de junio de 2023" [Executive report | Mpox | Chile, June 30, 2023] (PDF). Department of Epidemiology (in Spanish). July 11, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "Primer caso de viruela del mono" (in Spanish).
- ^ "WHO recommends new name for monkeypox disease" (Press release). World Health Organization (WHO). November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Mpox". World Health Organization (WHO). August 17, 2024. Archived from the original on August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ "WHO Factsheet – Mpox (Monkeypox)". World Health Organization (WHO). April 18, 2023. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "Mpox Symptoms". U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). March 15, 2024. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "WHO Factsheet – Mpox (Monkeypox)". World Health Organization (WHO). April 18, 2023. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Christodoulidou MM, Mabbott NA (January 1, 2023). "Efficacy of smallpox vaccines against Mpox infections in humans". Immunotherapy Advances. 3 (1): ltad020. doi:10.1093/immadv/ltad020. PMC 10598838. PMID 37886620.
- ^ "Mpox (formerly Monkeypox)". NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. December 6, 2022. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Patient's Guide to Mpox Treatment with Tecovirimat (TPOXX)". U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Monkeypox – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". World Health Organization. May 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
- ^ Pinkstone, Joe (May 17, 2022). "Monkeypox 'spreading in sexual networks'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
- ^ Nsofor, Ifeanyi (June 2, 2022). "OPINION: Media coverage of monkeypox paints it as an African virus. That makes me mad". NPR. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ Vargas, Ramon Antonio (June 7, 2022). "US raises monkeypox alert level but says risk to public remains low". the Guardian. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "Monkeypox update: Where the outbreak stands now".
- ^ "Minsal reporta 68 casos de viruela del mono y se registra el primero en la región de O'Higgins". Radio Bio Bio (in Spanish).
- ^ "La viruela del mono llegó a la Región de Coquimbo". Cooperativa (in Spanish).
- ^ "Confirman primer caso de viruela del mono en Chiloé". Cooperativa (in Spanish).
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