サル痘、まん延の恐れ「極めて低い」

【ストックホルムＡＦＰ＝時事】欧州連合の欧州疾病予防管理センター（ＥＣＤＣ）は２３日、欧米諸国で感染者が相次いでいるサル痘について、人口全体にまん延する危険性は極めて低いとの見解を示した。世界保健機関（ＷＨＯ）も、すでに流行地域となっているアフリカ中部・西部以外の国では感染を食い止めることが可能だとしている。（資料写真）
　欧米では今月、サル痘の感染者数が爆発的に増加。ＷＨＯによると、欧州、北米、オーストラリアで感染が確認されたり疑われたりしている人は２００人弱となり、感染拡大への懸念が高まっている。
　サル痘は４０年前から存在が知られているが、ＷＨＯによると、アフリカの流行地域に渡航していない人々の感染例が多くの国で同時に確認されたのは初めて。
　しかし、ＷＨＯの感染症疫学者マリア・バンケルコフ氏はＳＮＳで行った動画配信で、「特に欧州各国や北米で発生している感染は、封じ込めが可能な状況だ」と説明。流行地域ではない国々では、ヒトからヒトへの感染を止めることができるとした。
　ＥＣＤＣのアンドレア・アモン所長は、感染者の大半は症状が軽く、一般人口の間でサル痘が流行する可能性は「極めて低い」と指摘。しかし、複数の性的パートナーを持つ人々による性行為など、密接な接触によって感染が広がる可能性は高いとした。
　サル痘ウイルスは、感染者の外傷や飛沫（ひまつ）に接触することで感染する。症状には発熱、筋肉痛、リンパ節の腫れ、悪寒、倦怠（けんたい）感が含まれる他、手や顔には水疱瘡（みずぼうそう）に似た発疹が出る。死に至ることはまれだが、ＥＣＤＣによると、幼児や妊婦、免疫力が低下している人は重症化する可能性がある。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/05/24-13:54）

The risk of monkeypox spreading widely among the general population is very low and transmission can be stopped outside endemic countries in Central and West Africa, health officials said Monday, after cases exploded this month in Europe and North America.
Fewer than 200 confirmed and suspected cases had been recorded since early May in Australia, Europe and North America, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, sparking fears over the spread of the disease.
Although monkeypox has been known for 40 years, WHO said it was the first time there had been several cases across many countries simultaneously and among people who had not travelled to the endemic regions in Africa.
But the UN agency said the outbreaks in non-endemic countries could be brought under control and human-to-human transmission of monkeypox stopped.
The EU's European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) also played down fears of a spread among the wider public.
Monkeypox, which is not usually fatal, can cause a fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face.
The virus can be transmitted through contact with skin lesions or droplets of bodily fluid from an infected person.
No treatment exists, but the symptoms usually clear up after two to four weeks. The disease is considered endemic in 11 African nations.
US President Joe Biden insisted Monday extra efforts would not be needed to prevent the spread.
- 'Remain vigilant' -
This is a containable situation, particularly in the countries where we are seeing these outbreaks that are happening across Europe, in North America as well, the WHO's emerging disease lead Maria Van Kerkhove said Monday via the UN health agency's social media channels.
We want to stop human-to-human transmission. We can do this in the non-endemic countries, she said.
Meanwhile, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) director, Andrea Ammon, said most of the cases had mild symptoms.
For the broader population, the likelihood of spread is very low, Ammon added in a statement.
However, the likelihood of further spread of the virus through close contact, for example during sexual activities among persons with multiple sexual partners, is considered to be high, she said.
Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said it was important to remain vigilant despite the low risk, ensuring contact tracing and adequate diagnostics capacity.
According to the ECDC, the virus can cause severe disease among certain groups such as young children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed persons.
The agency also pointed to the risk of human-to-animal transmission, and said if the virus is spread to animals there is a risk that the disease could become endemic in Europe.
burs-raz/ach