US - CDC statement: Confirms a case of monkeypox in a traveler from Nigeria in Maryland - November 17, 2021

[sharon sanders]

No link available. Received via FT email.


Media Statement

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Contact: CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

Imported Monkeypox case Reported in Maryland


Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating with the Maryland Department of Health and other health partners to investigate a case of monkeypox in a traveler who returned to the United States from Nigeria. Late yesterday, CDC laboratory scientists confirmed the patient had monkeypox and that the infection matches the strain that has been re-emerging in Nigeria since 2017. The person is currently in isolation in Maryland.

CDC is working with international health counterparts, the airline, and state and local health officials in the Washington, DC area to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient.

Travelers on the flight to the United States were required to wear masks on the plane as well as in the U.S. airports due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it’s believed the risk of spread of Monkeypox virus via respiratory droplets to others on the planes is low. Working with airline and state and local health partners, CDC is assessing potential risks to those who may have had close contact with the traveler on the plane and after their arrival in the United States.

CDC asks healthcare providers in the U.S. to be vigilant to poxvirus-like lesions, particularly among travelers returning from Nigeria. Because of the health risks associated with a single case of monkeypox, clinicians should report suspected cases immediately to state or local public health authorities regardless of whether they are also exploring other potential diagnoses.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a widespread rash on the face and body. Monkeypox re-emerged in Nigeria in 2017 after more than 40 years with no reported cases. Since 2017, 218 cases have been confirmed in Nigeria and eight cases have been reported in international travelers from Nigeria, including a case in Texas in July 2021 and the current case.

 

[sharon sanders]

Please also see:

US - Texas: 'Very little risk to the public': Dallas County resident being treated for monkeypox, officials say - July 16, 2021

 

[Pathfinder]

November 16, 2021

Media contacts:

Deidre McCabe, Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-3536

Andy Owen, Deputy Director, Media Relations, 410-767-6491



Travel-Associated Monkeypox virus infection confirmed in Maryland resident

Individual presented with mild symptoms; public health authorities currently following up with potentially exposed people, no special precautions recommended for the general public

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), today confirmed a single case of monkeypox virus infection in a Maryland resident who recently returned from Nigeria. The individual presented with mild symptoms, is currently recovering in isolation and is not hospitalized. No special precautions are recommended at this time for the general public.

“Public health authorities have identified and continue to follow up with those who may have been in contact with the diagnosed individual,“ said MDH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Dr. Jinlene Chan. “Our response in close coordination with CDC officials demonstrates the importance of maintaining a strong public health infrastructure.”

Monkeypox is in the same family of viruses as smallpox but generally causes a milder infection. It can be spread between people through direct contact with skin lesions or body fluids, or contaminated materials such as clothing or linens. It can also be spread through large respiratory droplets which generally cannot travel more than a few feet, and prolonged face-to-face contact is required.

Illness typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes, progressing to a widespread rash on the face and body. Most infections last 2-4 weeks. The individuals identified as having been potentially exposed to this case will be monitored for symptoms of monkeypox for 21 days after exposure.

Human monkeypox infections primarily occur in central and western African countries and have only rarely been documented outside of Africa. Although all strains can cause infection, those circulating in western Africa, where Nigeria is located, generally cause less severe disease.

Travelers returning from central or western Africa are advised to notify their health care provider if they develop symptoms of monkeypox, particularly flu-like illness, swollen lymph nodes or rash. Clinicians are urged to maintain a high index of suspicion for clinically compatible illness.

Additional details about human monkeypox cases are available on the CDC’s website.

https://health.maryland.gov/newsroo...infection-confirmed-in-Maryland-resident.aspx

 

[kiwibird]

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...e-found-person-came-nigeria-maryland-rcna5928

A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in a person in Maryland, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

It is the second case this year involving a person who had traveled to the United States from Nigeria. The first case was in a Texas resident in July and is not related to the Maryland case.

Before this year, the illness had not been seen in the U.S. since a 2003 outbreak, which sickened 47 people.

 

[Mary Wilson]

FBI, CDC Investigating Vials Labeled 'Smallpox' Found in Lab Freezer

A lab worker at a vaccine research facility in Pennsylvania found a small number of frozen vials labeled "smallpox" in a freezer, the CDC said.

Today 11:08AM
By Ed Cara

... The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed Tuesday that vials labeled “smallpox”—an extremely deadly virus that was eradicated in the 1970s—were found at a vaccine research facility in Pennsylvania. Despite the scary find, officials say there is no evidence that anyone’s been exposed to the pathogen.

According to the CDC, the frozen vials were found by a lab worker as they were cleaning out a freezer. The vials don’t appear to have been opened, and the worker was wearing gloves and a face mask at the time of the discovery. The facility is one of many that conduct vaccine research for the CDC.

“There is no indication that anyone has been exposed to the small number of frozen vials,” the CDC said in a statementto CNN. “CDC, its Administration partners, and law enforcement are investigating the matter and the vials’ contents appear intact.”

The CDC will transport the vials to another location for testing on Wednesday, Yahoo News reported, citing an alert sent to Department of Homeland Security leadership. According to the DHS alert seen by Yahoo News, there were 15 vials; five were labeled “smallpox” and 10 were labeled “vaccinia.”

https://gizmodo.com/fbi-cdc-investigating-vials-labeled-smallpox-found-in-1848074367

 

[Mary Wilson]

how coincidental

 

[sharon sanders]

bump this

 

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2021-DON344


Monkeypox - United States of America
25 November 2021


On 16 November 2021, the IHR National Focal Point of the United States of America (USA) notified PAHO/WHO of an imported case of human monkeypox in Maryland, USA. The patient is an adult, resident of the USA, with recent travel history to Nigeria.
The individual was in Lagos, Nigeria when they developed a rash. On 6 November, they travelled from Lagos, Nigeria to Istanbul, Turkey and, on 7 November, from Istanbul to Washington, D.C, USA. The patient has not been vaccinated against smallpox in the past and is currently in isolation in Maryland.
Samples of skin lesions were positive on 13 November by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for orthopoxvirus-generic and non-variola orthopoxvirus at the Maryland laboratory of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN). On 16 November, the USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) confirmed the diagnosis on the same two lesion specimens by PCR assays for monkeypox, and also, specifically for the West African clade of monkeypox, the strain that re-emerged in Nigeria since 2017.
At this time, while the patient had remained in Lagos throughout the stay in Nigeria, the source of infection for this case is unknown.
This is the second time that an imported human monkeypox case has been detected in a traveler to the USA. The first imported human case in a traveler from Nigeria was reported on 15 July 2021 (for more information on the first case, please see the Disease Outbreak News published on 27 July 2021). In addition to these two cases, since 2018, six importations of human cases of monkeypox have been reported in non-endemic countries in travelers from Nigeria to Israel (one case), Singapore (one case) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (four cases). The frequency of global travel indicates that further exported cases may be expected among travelers from endemic areas / countries. Additionally, there may be cases that are undetected, misdiagnosed, or not reported.

Public health response

The USA CDC is working with their international health counterparts, state, and local health officials to assess potential risks and to contact airline passengers and others who may have had contact with the patient on flights from Nigeria to Turkey and onwards to the USA, in transit, or after arrival in the USA. Travelers on these flights were required to wear masks due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of spread of monkeypox via respiratory droplets to others on these flights is therefore considered low.
Public health measures are being taken, including isolation and continued monitoring of the patient’s clinical recovery. Possible contacts are being notified for assessment and monitoring by their local or state health department. Post-exposure vaccination with a smallpox vaccine within 14 days of the last contact with the case may be recommended for cases who are at intermediate and high risk.
Healthcare providers have been advised to be vigilant to poxvirus-like lesions, particularly among travelers returning from Nigeria. Because of the public health risks associated with a single case of monkeypox, clinicians should report suspected cases immediately to state or local public health authorities regardless of whether they are also exploring other potential diagnoses.

WHO risk assessment

Monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonosis with incidental human infections that usually occur sporadically in forested parts of Central and West Africa. It is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus family. Genomic sequencing shows there are two monkeypox clades – Congo Basin and West African and there have been observed differences in human pathogenicity and mortality in the two geographic areas. Both clades can be transmitted by contact and droplet exposure via exhaled large droplets or contact with fomites such as bedding; infection can be fatal in humans.
The incubation period for monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days. The disease is often self-limiting with signs and symptoms usually resolving spontaneously within two to four weeks. Signs and symptoms can be mild or severe, and lesions can be painful. Immune deficiency, young age, and pregnancy appear to be risk factors for severe disease. The case fatality ratio (CFR) for the West African clade has been reported to be around 1%. The recent outbreak in Nigeria recorded a higher CFR related to underlying conditions which may lead to immunodeficiency. A case fatality ratio of up to 11% (in individuals without prior smallpox vaccination) has been reported for the Congo basin clade.
Since 2017, a monkeypox outbreak has been occurring in Nigeria with 218 cases confirmed to date. In addition to Nigeria, outbreaks have also been reported in nine other countries in central and western Africa since 1970. These include Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and Sudan. Sporadic small outbreaks continue to occur in some of these countries including Cameroon and the Central African Republic. However, the vast majority of cases continue to be reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 2780 cases and 72 deaths (CFR 2.6%) reported between 1 January through 31 October 2021.
While a new vaccine has been approved for the prevention of monkeypox, and traditional smallpox vaccine has been demonstrated to provide protection, these vaccines are not widely available. Increased susceptibility of humans to monkeypox is thought to be related to waning immunity due to cessation of smallpox immunization. Contact with live and dead animals through hunting and consumption of wild game or use of animal-derived products are presumed sources of human infection. Milder cases of monkeypox in adults could go undetected, misdiagnosed, or unreported and represent a risk of human-to-human transmission.
There is likely to be little immunity to infection in those exposed as endemic disease is geographically limited to West and Central Africa and populations worldwide under the age of 40 or 50 years no longer benefit from the protection afforded by prior smallpox vaccination programmes. There is no specific treatment for monkeypox disease, and care is symptom-based optimal care. In some circumstances, treatment approved for smallpox may be offered on a compassionate or emergency use basis....

 

[sharon sanders]

bump this