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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House Chief Medical Advisor, cautioned against making assumptions about the global monkeypox outbreak, citing choices made early in the HIV-AIDS epidemic.
In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Fauci and H. Clifford Lane, Ph.D., wrote that the new epidemiological pattern of cases was “surprisingly similar” to early cases of HIV/AIDS. . Outbreaks have been detected among men who have sex with men.
The virus is usually spread through direct skin contact with the affected area. The researchers noted that evidence suggests that long-term or repeated exposure is necessary for transmission.
It can also be transmitted through contact with infected clothing or bed sheets.
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In particular, health officials stress that the virus is not considered a sexually transmitted disease, but men considered at high risk of the disease should reduce the number of sexual partners and have group or anonymous sex. It is recommended that you refrain from doing so.
They noted that during the HIV-AIDS pandemic, the organism responsible for the disease was unknown and, unlike today, vaccines and other measures were not available.
“Given how little is known about the epidemiological features of the current outbreak, it is prudent to note the observations made in the first years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic that are truly scientifically unfounded assumptions. Additional detailed epidemiological and observational cohort studies, serosurveys, and continued surveillance for new cases are extremely important,” emphasized Fauci and Lane, deputy directors for clinical research and special projects at the NIAID. Fauci will step down as White House chief medical adviser and NIAID director in December.
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They stated that the challenge going forward is to ensure efficient and equitable availability and distribution of measures, and to define what clinical efficacy is, identify potential safety concerns, and assess appropriate use. He said that the rigorous research necessary to guide the
“Lessons learned during the response to AIDS and COVID-19 should help put together a more efficient and effective response to monkeypox, which will become the inevitable next.” It should help inform the response to an emerging or re-emerging infectious disease in a potential pandemic,” the pair concluded.
There are approximately 17,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox and orthopoxvirus in the United States and 46,724 worldwide, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
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The number of reported cases globally fell by 21% last week, according to the World Health Organization.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.