[World Now] '원숭이 두창' 공식 이름 바뀌나?
코로나19보다 전파력 낮은 원숭이두창, 치명률은 3∼6%로 높아
WHO, 원숭이두창 이름 바꾼다…“낙인·차별 우려 탓” :: 문화일보
It has taken scientists who specialise in the disease by complete surprise and it is always a concern when a virus changes its behaviour.
Is it time to worry or are we getting overly excited having just lived through Covid? Very early genetic analysis suggests the current cases are very closely related to forms of the virus seen in 2018 and 2019.
The mass smallpox vaccinations of the past would have given older generations some protection against the closely related monkeypox.
This time it's monkeypox and there are around 80 confirmed cases in 11 countries, including the UK, that would not normally expect to have the disease.
Somebody in the rainforests of Western and Central Africa comes into contact with an infected creature and the virus makes the jump across species.
More than 2000 monkeypox cases have been reported in more than 30 countries.
Instead many of the cases appear unrelated, so there are missing links in a chain that seems to spread across Europe and beyond.
We know this outbreak is different, but we don't know why.
It is mostly mild, although it can be more dangerous in young children, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.
So outbreaks tend to be small and burn out on their own.