2022–2023 mpox outbreak in the Republic of Ireland
The 2022-2023 mpox outbreak in the Republic of Ireland is part of the larger ongoing global outbreak of human mpox caused by Clade II of the monkeypox virus. The first case in the Republic was confirmed on 27 May 2022.[7]
| 2022 mpox outbreak in the Republic of Ireland | |
|---|---|
| Disease | Mpox |
| Virus strain | Monkeypox virus (Clade II) |
| Location | Republic of Ireland |
| Arrival date | 27 May 2022 (1 year, 4 months and 4 weeks ago).[1] |
| Date | As of 28 June 2023 |
| Confirmed cases | 228[2][3] |
| Hospitalised cases | 20 (total)[4] |
Deaths | 0[5][6] |
| Fatality rate | 0% |
| Government website | |
| https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/zoonotic/monkeypox/ | |
Background
Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox)[8] is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some other animals.[9] Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.[9] The illness is usually mild and most of those infected will recover within a few weeks without treatment.[10] The time from exposure to onset of symptoms ranges from five to twenty-one days and symptoms typically last from two to four weeks.[11] Cases may be severe, especially in children, pregnant women or people with suppressed immune systems.[12]
The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus,[lower-alpha 1] a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, the causative agent of the disease smallpox, is also in this genus.[9] Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infected skin or body fluids, including sexual contact.[9] People remain infectious from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and healed.[12] It may spread from infected animals by handling infected meat or via bites or scratches.[12] Diagnosis can be confirmed by PCR testing a lesion for the virus' DNA.[9]Transmission
A large portion of those infected were believed to have not recently traveled to areas of Africa where mpox is normally found, such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as central and western Africa. It is believed to be transmitted by close contact with sick people, with extra caution for those individuals with lesions on their skin or genitals, along with their bedding and clothing. The CDC has also stated that individuals should avoid contact and consumption of dead animals such as rats, squirrels, monkeys and apes along with wild game or lotions derived from animals in Africa.[13]
In addition to more common symptoms, such as fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes or lesions, some patients have also experienced proctitis, an inflammation of the rectum lining. CDC has also warned clinicians to not rule out mpox in patients with sexually transmitted infections since there have been reports of co-infections with syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and herpes.[14]
Statistics
As of 28 June 2023, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) had been notified of 228 cases of mpox, no deaths have been recorded so far.[15]
| Age | Cases | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–18 | 1 | ||||||||
| 19–24 | 9 | ||||||||
| 25–34 | 96 | ||||||||
| 35–44 | 77 | ||||||||
| 45–54 | 28 | ||||||||
| 55–64 | 14 | ||||||||
| 65+ | 3 | ||||||||
|
Median age: 35; Mean age: 37; | |||||||||
| Gender | Number of cases (%) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 226(99.12%) | ||||||||
| Female | 2(0.88%) | ||||||||
| Unknown | 0(0%) | ||||||||
|
Total = 228 | |||||||||
| Gender | Number of cases (%) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gbMSM | 205(89.91%) | ||||||||
| Other | 3(1.32%) | ||||||||
| Unknown | 20(8.77%) | ||||||||
|
Total = 228 | |||||||||
Timeline
Notes
- The World Health Organization (the authority on disease names) announced the new name "mpox" in November 2022. But virus naming is the responsibility of the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), which is currently reviewing all orthopoxvirus species. As of March 2023, the official name of the virus remains "monkeypox virus".[8]
References
- Hogan, Laura (28 May 2022). "First case of monkeypox confirmed in Ireland". RTÉ News. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- "Epidemiology of monkeypox in Ireland". 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "2022 monkeypox outbreak global map". cdc.gov. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "Epidemiology of monkeypox in Ireland". 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "Epidemiology of human monkeypox in Ireland". 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "2022 monkeypox outbreak global map". cdc.gov. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- Hogan, Laura (28 May 2022). "First case of monkeypox confirmed in Ireland". RTÉ News. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- "WHO recommends new name for monkeypox disease" (Press release). World Health Organization (WHO). 28 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- "WHO Factsheet – Mpox (Monkeypox)". World Health Organization (WHO). 18 April 2023. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "Monkeypox". GOV.UK. 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Mpox Symptoms". U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "Mpox (monkeypox)". World Health Organisation. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- Vargas, Ramon Antonio (2022-06-07). "US raises monkeypox alert level but says risk to public remains low". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- "Monkeypox update: Where the outbreak stands now".
- "Epidemiology of human monkeypox in Ireland". 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "Epidemiology of human monkeypox in Ireland". 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "Epidemiology of human monkeypox in Ireland". 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- "Epidemiology of human monkeypox in Ireland". 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2023.