CCTV News: Recently, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a Q&A on the prevention and control knowledge of monkeypox virus Ib sub-branch.

1. What is the sub-branch of monkeypox virus Ib?

Currently, monkeypox virus has two branches: branch I and branch II, which are divided into sub-branches I a, I b and Ⅱa and Ⅱb. The previous monkeypox epidemic was mainly epidemic in Africa. In May 2022, the IIb sub-branch broke out in many countries and regions such as Europe, the Americas and Asia; on July 23, 2022, the World Health Organization announced that the monkeypox epidemic in many countries was "a public health emergency of international concern". As the epidemic in the IIb sub-branch was gradually effectively controlled, on May 11, 2023, the World Health Organization announced that the monkeypox epidemic no longer constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern."

The sub-branch of monkeypox virus Ib was first discovered in South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo in September 2023. Since July 2024, the sub-branch of monkeypox virus Ib has gradually spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries, causing continuous community transmission and gradually imported into other African countries and countries and regions outside Africa through international travel. On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization once again declared the monkeypox epidemic a "public health emergency of international concern."

2. How is the progress of the monkeypox virus Ib sub-branch epidemic outside Africa?

As of now, 12 countries outside Africa, including Sweden, Thailand, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Canada, Belgium, France, Pakistan, Oman, China, etc., have reported imported cases of monkeypox virus Ib sub-branch infection, among which imported cases in the UK and Germany have led to continuous household cases; the Ib sub-branch epidemic discovered in my country this time has also been found.

3. What are the characteristics of the sub-branch of monkeypox virus Ib?

The basic characteristics of monkeypox virus Ib subbranch have not been significantly changed. Compared with the Ia sub-branch, the infectivity of the Ia sub-branch increased, but the severity after infection was reduced.

The monkeypox virus Ib sub-branch is mainly transmitted through close contact such as sexual contact, close contact within the family, and unprotected medical care contact. Other daily meals, car rides, etc. generally have a lower risk of infection. Under the conditions of long-term close contact in the closed environment, there have been reports of sporadic cases of possible droplet transmission through other monkeypox virus sub-branches, but there are currently no cases of possible transmission through droplets in sub-branches of Ib.

Monkeypox is a self-limiting disease. Most cases have mild symptoms, mainly manifested as fever, headache, rash, enlarged lymph nodes, etc. After symptomatic treatment and supportive treatment, most patients' symptoms disappear and the rash disappears within a few weeks. For young children, pregnant women, and people with low immune function (such as HIV-infected people with low CD4 cell count, patients with hematologic malignant tumors, etc.), severe illness or death may occur if the treatment is not done in time.

4. How to prevent sub-branch infection of monkeypox virus Ib?

Be the first person in charge of your own health, understand monkeypox prevention and control knowledge, enhance self-protection awareness, and avoid close contact with monkeypox patients or those with suspicious symptoms of monkeypox, which can effectively prevent monkeypox infection. In daily life, you do not contact wild or unknown primates such as rodents, monkeys and apes.

Before leaving the country, you should understand the epidemic situation of the destination monkeypox virus Ib sub-branch, take personal protection, avoid contact with local wild animals, and avoid close contact with monkeypox patients or those with suspicious symptoms; comply with relevant national entry and exit management regulations, and cooperate with entry and exit quarantine testing.

5. What should I pay attention to when returning to China (entering) from a monkeypox endemic area?

People from countries (regions) who have been exposed to monkeypox epidemics, or have symptoms such as fever, rash, and enlarged lymph nodes, should actively report to the customs when entering the country and cooperate with customs staff to implement quarantine inspection measures in accordance with prescribed procedures.

Other personnel should conduct self-health monitoring after entering the country. If symptoms such as fever, rash, lymph node swollenness occur, seek medical treatment in a timely manner, take personal protection, and actively inform medical personnel of their travel history in areas where monkeypox is prevalent.

6. What should I do if I suspect I have been infected with monkeypox virus?

If you suspect that you are infected with monkeypox virus, you should go to a medical institution as soon as possible to inform your doctor of symptoms and suspicious contact history so that you can get timely diagnosis and treatment. When you go to the hospital and visit the hospital, you should wear medical surgical masks and long clothes and trousers to ensure that all damaged skin is covered and try to avoid taking public transportation. At the same time, close contact with others should be avoided, good personal hygiene habits, wash hands frequently, and avoid the spread of infection caused by scratching the rash. Once monkeypox is diagnosed, we should actively cooperate with medical and health institutions to deal with the epidemic and isolate the treatment.

7. How to manage health well for close contacts of monkeypox patients?

A person who is judged as a close contact of a monkeypox patient should be subject to 21-day health monitoring under the guidance of professionals from the disease control agency. During this period, close contact with others should be avoided and blood donated should be avoided. Temperature measurement and symptom monitoring are carried out every day as required, and the monitoring results are reported truthfully; if symptoms such as fever, rash, lymph node enlargement occur, you should go to the medical institution for treatment in a timely manner, and the doctor should be actively informed of the suspicious contact history during treatment. When you go to the hospital and visit the hospital, you should wear medical surgical masks and long clothes and trousers to ensure that all damaged skin is covered and try to avoid taking public transportation.

8. What are the channels for understanding the authoritative information of monkey pox?

You can log in to the websites and public accounts of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other professional institutions to learn about the authoritative information on the prevention and control of monkey pox, master the knowledge and skills of monkey pox prevention and control, scientifically understand the harm of diseases, and take personal protection.