Mpox/Monkeypox STILL Not a Gay Disease (Except in Los Angeles County)

Why is only UNICEF warning that children and pregnant women are at risk?

A press release from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on September 23 revealed that mpox (formerly monkey pox) cases recently increased at a disturbing rate. The press release was issued to alert physicians “about a doubling in mpox cases, with 52 cases reported in Los Angeles County in the last four weeks, compared to 24 during the previous four-week period.” (1)  

While that is an alarming statistic, LA County may be defeating its own efforts by continuing to describe mpox as a disease spread mostly—if not entirely—by men having sex with other men.

LA County encourages vaccination among people having  “intimate physical contact” with gay or transgender persons or commercial sex workers, including:

“· Any man or transgender person who has sex with men or transgender persons
· Persons of any gender or sexual orientation who have sex or intimate physical contact with others in association with a large public event or engage in commercial and/or transactional sex
· Persons living with HIV, especially persons with uncontrolled or advanced
HIV disease
· Sexual partners of people in any of the above groups” (1)

In other words, we are back to believing that a virus can infect only members of already discriminated-against groups. LA County unoriginally describes these categories of people as being at “high risk” for contracting mpox.

Meanwhile, UNICEF—an organization that “works with partners around the world to promote policies and expand access to services that protect all children”—warns that children and pregnant women are particularly at risk from the current outbreak of mpox virus. (2)

“In the fight against the mpox outbreak, prioritizing the needs of children is not just necessary—it's urgent,” according to UNICEF. (2)

The mpox virus is related to smallpox virus. It has recently mutated and a new variant, named “clade IB,” is reported to be more easily transmitted between individuals than previous clades were. (2)

“The mpox virus does not discriminate. Anyone exposed to the virus can become infected, and children, immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women are at risk of severe disease,” UNICEF warns. “Children who are malnourished or affected by other illnesses are also vulnerable to complications from mpox.” (2)

These warnings are based on statistics coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Africa, which has been described as the epicenter of the current outbreak. In the DRC, children under 15 comprise half of the cases.

According to UNICEF:

“Mpox can spread from animals to people, between people and from the environment to people. The virus can spread through:
·      contact with lesions on the skin or infectious bodily fluids; 
·      contact with contaminated materials such as clothing, linen or sharps injuries
in healthcare settings; 
·      contact with respiratory droplets, from an infected person's mouth or throat;
·      contact with infected animals; 
·      pregnant women can pass the virus on to their unborn baby.
·      Children can be exposed at home or in the community through close contact with
people who are symptomatic with mpox including parents, caregivers, or other
family members.”
·      Children can be exposed at home or in the community through close contact with
people who are symptomatic with mpox including parents, caregivers, or other
family members.” (2)

The symptoms in children are the same as in adults: fever, skin rash, sore throat, headache, body aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes. (2)

Reactions to outbreaks of mpox vary wildly around the world. In Singapore, for example, “close contacts of mpox clade I cases” are being quarantined for 21 days—the exposure time during which disease can develop—in “a government facility.” Quarantined individuals will be “offered vaccination,” according to a government announcement in Singapore. (3)

In contrast, UNICEF’s recommendations to stop the spread include handwashing, being able to recognize the symptoms of mpox and avoiding close contact with that person as well as his/her clothing and bed linens. (2)

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.        “Mpox Cases Increasing in Los Angeles County—Public Health Recommends Vaccination to Limit Transmission, Prevent Serious Disease.” County of Los Angeles News Release, September 23, 2024. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=4828
2.        “Mpox in Children.” UNICEF.org. August 28, 2024. https://www.unicef.org/stories/mpox-and-children#:~:text=The%20mpox%20virus%20does%20not,vulnerable%20to%20complications%20from%20mpox.
3.        Mothership Digital Media Company. September 4, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=847588447578639