Scientists worldwide are baffled by how the recent monkeypox outbreak has spread so quickly and quietly, leading some to theorize that the way the disease is transferred could have changed.
Before the most recent infections, the illness was usually only recorded in areas of Western and Central Africa. But in recent weeks, the more than 1,000 cases recorded in 29 countries have caused health experts' concerns.
Monkeypox Transmission
Prior to the recent outbreak, direct, physical contact was believed to be the main source of transmission, with a few exceptions, such as through airborne particles. An associate professor at the Department of Public Health at Syracuse University, Brittany L. Kmush, shared her thoughts on the disease.
She said that although "typically, monkeypox is not thought of as an airborne virus," its transmission mode may have changed and subsequently caused this outbreak. Kmush noted that catching monkeypox from direct contact with the rash was much easier than through airborne exposure. But the current outbreak seems to be somewhat different from past outbreaks, she said, as per Newsweek.
Kmush added that it was less likely that patients had symptoms of general illness prior to the rash appearing and noted that the rash was generally less severe. In the past, she noted that there had been more community transmission where the source of the cases was unknown to health experts.
This means that the mode of transmission of monkeypox has become somewhat different, and it is important to remain up to date and follow the guidance given by public health officials, Kmush said. Science initially suspected that the virus may have mutated into a more transmissible form due to the unusual nature of the outbreak.
According to CNBC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said that some people diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases (STD) may also have monkeypox. The agency warned physicians that they need to watch and test for both since the disease can look a lot like an STD.
Unusual Outbreak
In a statement, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that some patients with monkeypox also had syphilis, herpes, gonorrhea, or chlamydia infections. She noted that the rash developed when a person has monkeypox also resembles herpes or syphilis.
The health agency's director noted that it was important to be aware that monkeypox cases may present similar symptoms to some sexually transmitted infections and could easily be mistaken for other diagnoses.
Furthermore, CDC officials on Friday pushed back against the idea that the monkeypox virus is able to spread through the air. They argued that the disease spreads either by direct physical contact with sores or contaminated materials from a patient.
CDC authorities also noted that the disease could be spread through respiratory droplets expelled by an infected patient. However, they noted that the virus was not able to linger in the air over long distances.
Several experts on the airborne transmission of viruses agreed, but some said that the agency had not fully considered the possibility that respiratory droplets, large or small, could be inhaled at a shorter distance from a patient, the New York Times reported.
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