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So far only 2 cases of monkeypox detected
View(s):By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
Of 15 samples tested for monkeypox in the past three months, only two have been positive, a Medical Virologist told the Sunday Times this week.
Consultant Medical Virologist Dr. Jude Jayamaha of the Medical Research Institute (MRI), Colombo, said that a majority of the suspect samples were from the Western Province. They had been sent from healthcare settings including the National STD/AIDS Campaign, Colombo, and the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID), Angoda.
“The MRI gave the reports, whether positive or negative, within 24 hours,” he said, explaining that they were tested using recent primers and probes which are able to detect specific genes of monkeypox through real-time Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR).
Dr. Jayamaha said that the MRI uses kits approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Sri Lanka’s preliminary runs were given the nod by a panel of WHO experts.
Quoting news reports from the United Kingdom, he said that tecovirimat, an antiviral agent developed for smallpox has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency for the treatment of monkeypox.
The WHO and the tecovirimat developer, SIGA Technologies, Inc. have signed an agreement for a donation to WHO of 2500 treatment courses of tecovirimat for treatment of monkeypox under an emergency use expanded access protocol. Through this arrangement, tecovirimat will be available to low and middle-income countries who express interest in participating, he said, based on these reports.
Referring to the monkeypox vaccine, Dr. Jayamaha said that according to reports from the UK, it is said to be 78% effective. Accordingto aUK Health Security Agency analysis the vaccine effectiveness for a single dose is estimated at 78%, 14 or more days after vaccination. The only laboratory manufacturing a licensed vaccine – MVA-BN – against monkeypox, is Denmark’s Bavarian Nordic. A greater and longer lasting protection is expected from a second dose of the vaccine.
| A-H1N1 flu doing the rounds The season of influenza is here, said Dr. Jude Jayamaha, pointing out that it is A-H1N1 which seems to be doing the rounds now. “In the past three weeks, 32-40% of samples tested positive for Influenza A and B. Of the positive samples, there was a predominance of A-H1N1. Before that it was A-H3N2 which was detected and not A-H1N1. The trend is similar in Europe and they are expecting this strain to cause severe influenza,” he said.
According to Dr. Jayamaha for Sri Lanka, December-January-February is the ‘greater peak’ and April-June-July the ‘lesser peak’. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, people were protected against the flu because there were lockdowns, travel restrictions, stringent hand hygiene and mask-wearing. But this year, it would be different and influenza could spread rapidly. “There is no cause for worry. It is a self-limiting viral illness. However, vulnerable groups such as the very young, very old, those expecting babies and those with co-morbidities including heart and lung disease should be careful,” said Dr. Jayamaha. His advice is: If unwell with symptoms such as fever, cough, cold and body aches, see a doctor. Do not take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Stay well hydrated. Adolescents and young people should be aware that if they get the flu, they should rest during the illness and also a while after, as strenuous activity could trigger unnecessary complications, he added. | |
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