Monkeypox Can Be Asymptomatic, Two Studies Suggest
European scientists have raised the alarm that a monkeypox (MPV) infection can be present in an asymptomatic patient. Evidence from two separate non-peer-reviewed studies suggests that not everybody who tests positive for the virus shows symptoms, raising the prospect the MPV outbreak can’t be curbed by testing and quarantine alone.Scientists found evidence that some people may be asymptomatic of MPV infection and therefore go undiagnosed.
However, more research is necessary to determine whether asymptomatic people can spread MPV.The research was published in the journal Nature.Researchers retrospectively analyzed 224 samples from men at a Belgian health clinic undergoing STI screening for gonorrhea and chlamydia in May 2022 to determine whether undiagnosed MPV infections occurred.At the sampling time, three men had no symptoms, while one had a painful rash, the study states.
After clinical examinations 21 to 37 days later, the three men denied experiencing any symptoms. Each of the three patients had a blood test confirming MPV infection, and MPV was also cultured from two.
The study included men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV, MSM using PrEP, and MSM whose recent sexual partner was informed of gonorrhea or chlamydia infection.The authors believe that testing and quarantining individuals reporting symptoms may not be sufficient to contain the current MPV outbreak.Rather than simply identifying and isolating symptomatic individuals, the authors suggest reviewing specific measures and adjusting messaging to prevent human-to-human transmission.“Firstly, awareness campaigns in the general and high-risk populations should include the possibility of asymptomatic transmission among close (sexual) contacts,” the.
