After a Viennese was infected with the monkeypox virus, there were initially no further suspected cases. The Viennese virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz calmed down in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal”. The disease is difficult to transmit from person to person and is usually mild.
“I really wouldn’t worry too much about monkeypox at this point because monkeypox doesn’t spread easily from person to person and therefore we won’t see a pandemic or epidemic like we see with other viral diseases,” he said Redlberger-Fritz from MedUni Vienna. However, the outbreak is unusual because monkeypox is a zoonosis and “usually endemic and native to rodents or mice or small squirrel species.” Transmission to humans is only possible through close contact with the infected animals or, more rarely, with infected humans.
According to the virologist, monkeypox is usually “a mild, self-limiting disease.” Serious cases that can lead to death are rare. This mainly includes patients with a very poor immune system. In short, the smallpox vaccination, which was mandatory until 1981, offers very good protection against monkeypox.
The patient is doing well
According to the health association, the infected person in Vienna is “considering the circumstances”. He is currently on painkillers for the swollen lymph nodes. It is not yet clear how long he will have to stay in the hospital. Isolation would be necessary “until the skin lesions are caked”. According to Mario Dujakovic, spokesman for the Vienna Health Council Peter Hacker (SPÖ), the 35-year-old’s few close contacts are being contacted. Watch out for any symptoms such as fever and rash and contact the health hotline 1450 if necessary. The disease is not yet notifiable and quarantine is not recommended for contacts.
The responsible health authorities of the federal states should receive the corresponding documents by Tuesday morning. By that time, the reporting obligation should also have been introduced. The Ministry of Health is working on standards that are as uniform as possible at European level. No need to worry as these are isolated cases.
Several recommendations
There are other recommendations in other European countries. The British health authority UKHSA even advises close contacts to quarantine for three weeks. According to a statement, those who live in the same household as the person concerned, who have changed their bedding without protective clothing or who have had sex with the person are often infected. The British health authority sees pregnant women in particular as risk groups, as well as children under the age of twelve and people with a suppressed immune system, eg B. due to a chronic illness or medication.
Infections with the monkeypox virus are being reported from more and more countries, for example 15 patients in the Rome area on Monday. Three of them had to be hospitalized.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
