Virologist Gabor Kemenesi, director of the Hungarian National Virology Laboratory at the University of Pecs, said that the explosive population growth on the continent and the increased contact with rodents have contributed to the spread of the Mpox virus or monkeypox.
The expert stressed that with the globalization of the world, such epidemics will become more frequent, warranting greater preparedness for similar situations. The virus is currently causing the biggest problem in Africa, as developed countries are vaccinating their populations to avoid an epidemic, while similar jab campaigns in Africa have stopped.
"Sparks from a fire can ignite another hotspot elsewhere"
"We have been ignoring Africa for the past few years, but now a global health emergency has been declared here for the first time in history," the virologist began. "Today, it is concerning that besides the case numbers being registered every year is increasing, the infection is also rearing its head and spreading like wildfire in countries that have never before been affected. Africa is the epicenter of proliferation because the dynamic population growth, the third-world conditions and the high concentrations of virus-carrying rodents are all factors contributing to the spread," Gabor Kemenesi told the news portal.
According to the expert, news reports "like the news from Sweden that a case has entered the country and then another and another" will become more frequent.
"Many people are scoffing and thinking that the World Health Organization (WHO) is just trying to induce panic again. No, quite the contrary, the WHO has made a technical decision that opens the money flows. Just like when there is a wildfire in Greece, European countries send firefighters and firefighting planes to help. The same thing is happening now, but with an epidemic. If there's a huge fire somewhere, the sparks that fly out can generate new hotspots elsewhere,"
Gabor Kemenesi explained.
The expert strongly urges that money and resources should be mobilized immediately in order to eradicate or at least contain the epidemic in Africa through vaccines and other epidemiological measures.
What does this mean for Hungary?
This epidemic would look very different from Covid, the virologist pointed out, adding that everyone is thinking in terms of Covid-19, but this is a completely different virus that behaves and spreads in a completely different way. "At the moment, no preparations have to be done her, in Hungary," he said, adding:
More attention has to be focused on people who are members of an identified risk group as determined by epidemiological studies.
On the threat level to our country, Kemenesi said that Hungary cannot significantly be separated from other countries outside Africa, "we can expect a case coming in from foreign countries depending on how much travel we have or will have to this region".
"And, here is the most interesting unknown factor in all of this: because we really don't know what the post-epidemic picture of monkeypox will look like," he told the portal.
- However, if we consider the previous monkeypox outbreak, we can see that it is transmitted, for example, through sexual transmission, specifically through unprotected sexual intercourse or close contact," he said, stressing that it is difficult to estimate what the epidemiological scenario will be outside Africa at this stage of the spread.
We will have to wait for the data continuously collected by the epidemiological authorities and then we can see a more realistic picture,
he said, calling for patience.
