Concerns grow over Monkeypox in Hungary, As the virus surfaces in neighboring Austria

Monkeypox, which was once thought to be "native" to Africa, has so far made an appearance in neighboring Austria. Although no cases have been reported in Hungary, multiple Hungarian scientists have been contacted on the subject. "Because most Monkeypox patients did not catch the disease during an excursion to Africa," János Szlávik, South Pest Center Hospital's senior infectologist, informed Mandiner, "the disease is disturbing."

The index case of monkeypox in Austria was validated on Sunday in Vienna, when a 35-year-old man was hospitalized with typical clinical manifestations of the disease, according to orf.at.

Nina Brenner-Küng, a spokeswoman for the Vienna Health Association (WiGev), announced on Sunday, "He is doing well as of now, he is stable." He has sores on his skin and flu-like symptoms."

On Sunday night, the 35-year-old man was taken straight to hospital in Favoriten by an ambulance. This is the first point of contact for cases of infection. The man had typical symptoms of monkeypox, such as pustules on his face and a slight fever. The possibility of monkeypox had already emerged in the ambulance, that's why he had arrived at the infectious diseases department.

His contacts have now been immunized against smallpox. This is referred to as "lockdown vaccination."

Monkeypox, which is found in West and Central Africa, first spread to Europe in early May in a patient who had recently returned from Nigeria. Since then, the disease has flourished throughout Europe, and the aforementioned infected patient was identified in Vienna on Sunday.  As of now, over 100 suspected or actual cases have been reported, the vast bulk of which have occurred in Europe: Belgium, Greece, Italy, Norway, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Cases have also been confirmed far beyond Europe, including the United States and Canada.

"Monkeypox is unlikely to cause a comparable epidemic as coronavirus," says a Hungarian infectologist, "but it is important to keep an eye on it."

"Because most monkeypox patients did not contract the disease during a trip to Africa," János Szlávik, high ranking infectologist at South Pest Center Hospital, told Mandiner, "the infection is concerning."

Szlávik remembered monkeypox outbreaks in the United States and Europe in the 2000s. Patients returned home while the infection was still incubating, but they did not spread it to others.

All but one of the current patients is understood to have earlier visited Africa. As a result, scientists are concerned that the virus might just have evolved and spread faster from individual to individual. He also speculated that the virus may have been making the rounds in the UK for some time.

Infectious disease expert believes the likelihood of monkeypox causing an epidemic comparable to coronavirus is low, but it is worth monitoring the virus because in most nations â€“ including Spain and Portugal â€“ it is not yet known which affected person carried the virus into the region.

"The patient is homosexual in the vast majority of instances, but there are also reports of individuals who are not homosexual," Szlávik emphasized.

Regarding anti-monkeypox measures in Hungary, János Szlávik stated that dermatologists who observe a questionable rash on anyone should assume that this ailment may be the cause. If the infection is diagnosed, the affected individual should be quarantined in the hospital or at home as soon as possible.

János Szlávik warned travelers to Africa to avoid cuddling animals, as they are the most prevalent cause of the disease.

We do not need to be concerned about a new pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is actively working on counter-measures to prevent the spread of monkeypox. The infection count is expected to rise even further during the summer months. The UN organization stated in Geneva that there is a "pressing need" to increase awareness of infectious illness. Cases must be thoroughly isolated and identified, and infection pathways must be tracked down, according to the preliminary guidelines.