猴痘正在世界各地蔓延。這是什麼病，有多危險？

 https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/20/what-is-monkeypox-and-how-dangerous-is-it-cases-are-rising-globally.html?view=story%3F__source%3Dandroidappshare

·        KEY POINTS Health authorities in Europe, the U.S. and Australia are investigating a recent outbreak of monkeypox cases, a rare viral disease typically found in Africa. ·        Germany on Friday reported its first case of the virus, becoming the latest European country to identify an outbreak alongside the U.K., Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Sweden. ·        In the U.K. alone, cases have doubled since the first was identified on May 7. The country now has 20 confirmed cases, though concerns are building that more may be going undetected.   Health authorities in Europe, the U.S. and Australia are investigating a recent outbreak of monkeypox cases, a rare viral disease typically confined to Africa. Germany on Friday reported its first case of the virus, becoming the latest European country to identify an outbreak alongside the U.K., Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Sweden. The U.S. and Australia this week also confirmed their first cases, as experts attempt to determine the root cause of the recent spike. While some cases have been linked to travel from Africa, more recent infections are thought to have spread in the community, raising the risks of a wider outbreak.   The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and infection and the U.K.’s Health Security Agency said they are investigating a range of cases including those among individuals who self-identify as men who have sex with men, and urged gay and bisexual men in particular to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions. In the U.K. alone, cases have doubled since the first was identified on May 7. The country now has 20 confirmed cases of monkeypox, though there are concerns there may be many more undetected. Individuals exhibiting symptoms of the virus — which include rashes and fever — are being urged to seek medical advice, contacting any clinic before visiting. “These latest cases, together with reports of cases in countries across Europe, confirms our initial concerns that there could be spread of monkeypox within our communities,” Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at the UKHSA, said Wednesday. What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus, part of the same family as smallpox, though typically less severe. Generally occurring in remote parts of Central and West Africa, the virus was first detected in captive monkeys in 1958. The first human case was recorded in 1970. There have since been sporadic cases reported across 10 African countries, including Nigeria, which in 2017 experienced the largest documented outbreak, with 172 suspected and 61 confirmed cases. Three-quarters were among males aged 21 to 40 years old. Cases outside of Africa have historically been less common, and typically linked to international travel or imported animals. Previous cases have been reported in Israel, the U.K., Singapore and the U.S., which, in 2003, reported 81 cases linked to prairie dogs infected by imported animals. How do you catch monkeypox? Monkeypox spreads when someone comes into close contact with another person, animal or material infected with the virus. The virus can enter the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or through the eyes, nose and mouth. Human-to-human transmission most commonly occurs through respiratory droplets, though usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact. Animal-to-human transmission meanwhile may occur via a bite or scratch. Monkeypox is not generally considered a sexually transmitted disease, though it can be passed on during sex. What are the symptoms? Initial symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headaches, muscle ache, swelling and backpain. Patients typically develop a rash one to three days after the appearance of fever, often beginning on the face and spreading to other parts of the body, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The rash, which can cause severe itching, then goes through several stages before the legions scab and fall off. The infection typically lasts two to four weeks and usually clears up on its own.   What is the treatment? There are currently no proven, safe treatments for monkeypox, though most cases are mild. People suspected of having the virus may be isolated in a negative pressure room — spaces used to isolate patients — and monitored by health-care professionals using personal protective equipment. Smallpox vaccines have, however, proven largely effective in preventing the spread of the virus. Countries including the U.K. and Spain are now offering the vaccine to those who have been exposed to infections to help reduce symptoms and limit the spread. How dangerous is it? Monkeypox cases can occasionally be more severe, with some deaths having been reported in West Africa. However, health authorities stress that we are not on the brink of a serious outbreak and the risks to the general public remain very low. “While investigations remain ongoing to determine the source of infection, it is important to emphasize it does not spread easily between people and requires close personal contact with an infected symptomatic person,” Colin Brown, director of clinical and emerging infections at the UKHSA, said Saturday. Health authorities in the U.K., U.S. and Canada urged people who experience new rashes or are concerned about monkeypox to contact their health-care provider. The UKHSA added that it is reaching out and providing advice to any potential close contacts of cases and health-care worker who may have come into contact with infected patients.

關鍵點 ·        歐洲、美國和澳大利亞的衛生當局正在調查最近爆發的猴痘病例，這是一種常見於非洲的罕見病毒性疾病。 ·        德國周五報告了首例該病毒病例，成為與英國、西班牙、葡萄牙、法國、意大利和瑞典一起發現疫情的最新歐洲國家。 ·        僅在英國，自 5 月 7 日發現第一例以來，病例就翻了一番。該國現在有 20 例確診病例，但人們越來越擔心可能會有更多病例未被發現。       歐洲、美國和澳大利亞的衛生當局正在調查最近爆發的猴痘病例，這是一種通常僅限於非洲的罕見病毒性疾病。 德國周五報告了首例該病毒病例，成為與英國、西班牙、葡萄牙、法國、意大利和瑞典一起發現疫情的最新歐洲國家。 美國和澳大利亞本周也確認了他們的首例病例，因為專家們試圖確定最近激增的根本原因。 雖然有些病例與來自非洲的旅行有關，但人們認為最近的感染已經在社區傳播，增加了更廣泛爆發的風險。 美國疾病控制和感染中心以及英國衛生安全局表示，他們正在調查一系列案件，包括那些自稱男男性行為者的案件，並敦促同性戀和雙性戀男性尤其要注意任何不尋常的皮疹或病變。 自5 月 7 日發現第一例以來，僅在英國，病例就翻了一番。該國現在有 20 例確診的猴痘病例，但有人擔心可能還有更多未被發現的病例。 正在敦促表現出該病毒症狀（包括皮疹和發燒）的個人尋求醫療建議，並在就診前聯繫任何診所。 UKHSA 首席醫療顧問蘇珊霍普金斯週三表示：“這些最新病例以及歐洲各國的病例報告證實了我們最初的擔憂，即猴痘可能會在我們的社區內傳播。”           什麼是猴痘？ 猴痘是一種由猴痘病毒引起的罕見疾病，與天花屬於同一家族，但通常不太嚴重。 該病毒通常發生在中非和西非的偏遠地區， 1958 年首次在圈養猴子中發現。1970 年記錄了第一例人類病例。 此後，包括尼日利亞在內的 10 個非洲國家報告了散發病例，尼日利亞在 2017 年經歷了有記錄的最大疫情，有172 例疑似病例和 61 例確診病例。四分之三是 21 至 40 歲的男性。 非洲以外的病例歷來不太常見，通常與國際旅行或進口動物有關。以色列、英國、新加坡和美國曾報告過病例，2003 年，這些國家報告了81 起與草原土撥鼠相關的病例，這些病例與被進口動物感染的土撥鼠有關。       你如何感染猴痘？ 當有人與感染病毒的其他人、動物或材料密切接觸時，猴痘就會傳播。 病毒可以通過破損的皮膚、呼吸道或眼睛、鼻子和嘴巴進入人體。   人與人之間的傳播最常通過呼吸道飛沫發生，但通常需要長時間的面對面接觸。同時，動物與人之間的傳播可能通過咬傷或抓傷發生。 猴痘通常不被認為是一種性傳播疾病，儘管它可以在性交過程中傳播。 有什麼症狀？ 猴痘的最初症狀包括發燒、頭痛、肌肉酸痛、腫脹和背痛。 患者通常在發燒後一到三天出現皮疹，通常從面部開始並擴散到身體的其他部位，例如手掌和腳底。 皮疹會導致嚴重的瘙癢，然後在軍團結痂和脫落之前經歷幾個階段。 感染通常持續兩到四個星期，通常會自行消失。         治療方法是什麼？ 目前還沒有經過驗證的、安全的猴痘治療方法，儘管大多數病例是輕微的。 疑似感染病毒的人可能會被隔離在負壓室——用於隔離患者的空間——並由使用個人防護設備的醫療保健專業人員進行監測。   然而，天花疫苗已被證明在預防病毒傳播方面非常有效。包括英國 和西班牙在內的國家現在正在向那些接觸過感染的人提供疫苗，以幫助減輕症狀並限制傳播。     有多危險？ 猴痘病例有時會更嚴重，西非報告了一些死亡病例。 但是，衛生當局強調，我們並未處於嚴重爆發的邊緣，對公眾的風險仍然很低。 “雖然仍在繼續調查以確定感染源，但重要的是要強調它不容易在人與人之間傳播，並且需要與受感染的有症狀的人密切接觸，”UKHSA 臨床和新發感染主任科林布朗說，週六。 英國、美國和加拿大的衛生當局敦促出現新皮疹或擔心猴痘的人聯繫他們的醫療保健提供者。 UKHSA 補充說，它正在向可能與感染患者接觸過的病例和衛生保健工作者的任何潛在密切接觸者伸出援手並提供建議。