Can Mpox cause another Covid-like pandemic? Experts say: “We should be worried…”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has just approved Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine against monkeypox, or Mpox, the first to be authorized for use in African countries affected by the outbreak.

Following the Union Health Ministry’s recommendation to intensify screening, in the wake of the first case of monkeypox being reported in India on September 8, 2024, concerns have been mounting over the spread of the disease in the country. The fear comes years after the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it left on the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

Monkeypox: Should India be worried?

Speaking to LiveMint, Dr Arun Gupta, President of the Delhi Medical CouncilHe said there is significant concern regarding the spread of the disease. “Yes, we should be worried. In this era when people are moving rapidly across the world, the chances of spreading infections between countries are very high,” Dr Gupta told Mint, noting that a “high degree of alertness” is required for people coming from abroad.

On 8 September 2024, the first case of Mpox was suspected in India in a young male patient who had recently travelled from a country where Mpox transmission was currently occurring.

Dr. Anant Bhan, public health researcher From BhopalDr Bhan told Mint that countries like India should keep a close eye on any cases that arise due to people arriving from abroad. “MPox has caused a global outbreak in 2022, so there is a need to keep a close eye on current trends, but the possibility of it becoming a ‘pandemic’ seems to be low at this point.”

Monkeypox or COVID-19: Which is more lethal?

Monkeypox is less deadly than COVID-19, but there is a high chance it could spread globally, experts said. live mintA consultant physician from Kolkata said: “As with all zoonotic (animal-borne) diseases, there is a strong possibility of this disease spreading globally.”

However, the possibility of respiratory spread of the virus from person to person (as seen with Covid-19) appears to be low, the doctor said.

Another specialist doctor also said that Mpox is not as lethal as COVID-19 If 100 people are diagnosed with monkeypox, three to six people may die, he explained.

Monkeypox: what the health bulletins say

According to a bulletin published by India’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox but with lesser clinical severity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Mpox had declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the first time in July 2022 and for the second time in August 2024.

Monkeypox: Symptoms similar to chickenpox?

Once a person contracts Mpox, visible symptoms develop over a period of 14 days (incubation period). Temperature, headache, fatigue and often enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and armpits are the most common symptoms during the first one to four days, the consultant doctor said.

More severe symptoms, such as skin lesions, appear later. These lesions are blisters that look similar to chickenpox and appear on the face, trunk, arms and legs, and their number varies from a few to thousands. Monkeypox lesions What distinguishes it from chickenpox is that the lesions appear mainly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

In rare cases, skin lesions affect other areas, such as the genitals, or are associated with oral ulcers (pharyngitis) and conjunctival damage.

Lesions also appear on the genitals with painful swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin, the doctor added.

As for precautions to be taken against Mpox, the specialist doctor explained that Mpox is mainly transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. “Close contact and in particular sexual contact with a person with Mpox should be avoided,” the doctor said.

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