What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a virus which causes the disease Mpox (previously the disease was also called Monkeypox). It looks like many other pox viruses:
- Rash which consists of small sores
- Fever
- Mouth sores
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Backache and body aches
- Swollen glands
Since the symptoms are similar to many other viral illnesses of childhood it is hard to spot an infected person early unless you know they've had an infected contact.
It also has a variable incubation period meaning symptoms might begin a few days or several weeks after contact with an infected person or animal. On 14 august 24 the WHO declared it a PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern) and they did so for several reasons, one being that the virus is hard to diagnose, second being that this current strain of virus is affecting children more severely, and third because it is likely to spread via international travel. There are >17000 cases in Africa and it is now spreading into Asia, Australia and Europe. This is the largest outbreak of Mpox ever in Africa and you should be thinking about Mpox if that is where you are travelling.
Can I get a vaccine?
Mpox vaccine can sometimes prevent and almost always ameliorate symptoms, however the vaccine is not currently available for travellers. People who have been in contact with the disease are being prioritised for vaccination. The vaccine is not licenced in pregnancy and it's thought to pass through to breastmilk but there are no human studies to evaluate safety.
Men who have sex with men may be able to access the Mpox vaccine on the NHS via this link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mpox/find-a-mpox-vaccination-site/
The vaccine is otherwise not yet available for travellers.
The treatment, an oral medication, is available on the NHS on a named patient basis. Very few children or pregnant women worldwide have taken this treatment so side effects are somewhat unknown. In children the frequent dosage can make it hard to administer.
How do you catch Mpox during travel?
You can catch Mpox through intercourse, kissing and intimate touching, and there is a higher risk with commercial sex workers. I understand that young people often have numerous sexual contacts when they travel overseas, with European studies showing that a high proportion of people between 15-19 have their first ever unprotected sex on holiday. You are also at some risk of catching Mpox through sharing phones and other personal objects like razors. Book a consultation if you need to discuss ways to reduce your risk of Mpox.
Mpox can also be caught through the the respiratory secretions of people who are coughing and sneezing the virus. Children are more likely to catch it from unwell close contacts such as family members and playmates. Other prolonged close contacts with people who have it (but may not yet have the rash) such as being seated next to a sick person for a long flight, contaminated hotel bedsheets and cutlery are also routes of transmission.
Are there places we shouldn’t be travelling?
Since Mpox is a Notifiable Disease you should be aware that you would not be allowed to board an international flight home with it, or with any suspicion of it.
Now you may not even have Mpox (this is a disease that looks like some other common childhood illnesses -and its diagnosis is from a skin swab which takes time to give results) but you could get stuck abroad in quarantine with a small child like I did for 6 weeks... If you are pregnant and getting stuck overseas would put you past a gestation at which you can fly home then I strongly advise against travel to a country where there is an outbreak. In addition Mpox is more severe in pregnant women and it can sometimes pass to the fetus causing miscarriage.
Mpox is also more severe in children and in people with low immunity. You should be cautious travelling in to a monkeypox outbreak if this includes you.
It's also about what you will be doing on the trip. Your individual risk and how to mitigate it is what I'm all about. Feel free to book a consultation.