Filenews 17 August 2024 - by Marilena Panayi
Three viruses and one bacterium threaten us. They change geographical areas and continents and spread. Scientists are monitoring their course on the planet with great concern and warning, while the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) are issuing relevant announcements and warnings that come at a time when states are on alert to ensure the necessary for autumn and winter given the appearance of all other viruses and bacteria that cause all known seasonal infections.
A few weeks ago, the World Health Organization sounded the alarm by stating, implicitly but clearly, that it is not a question of whether we will live through a new pandemic but which virus or bacterium will lead us to this pandemic.
In three consecutive announcements, the WHO warned of the dangerous spread of the super-resistant bacterium hvKp (Klebsiella pneumoniae), the new coronavirus outbreak recorded internationally and just yesterday the spread of monkeypox and the detection of cases on European soil.
Alongside the WHO, just a week ago the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) warned about the Oropouche virus by announcing that the first cases of the virus, which for decades was confined to South American countries, have been recorded in European countries.
All this while the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), in the context of the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this summer, stressed the "need to strengthen research worldwide so that humanity is prepared for the next pandemic".
The latest warning was issued by the WHO yesterday and concerns the outbreak of monkeypox in an area of the world, beyond the African border where it was previously contained. In Europe, Sweden has already recorded its first case.
"The confirmation of the Clade 1 subtype mpox in Sweden clearly reflects the interconnectedness of our world. It is likely that further imported cases of Clade 1 will be recorded in the European region in the coming days and weeks," the World Health Organization said in a statement.
The first case in Europe concerns a person who was "infected during a stay in an area of Africa where there has been a significant outbreak of mpox of subtype Clade 1," the interim head of the Swedish Public Health Authority, Olivia Vigtsell, told a news conference.
It is worth mentioning that immediately after the relevant announcement of the WHO, there was also a reaction from the pharmaceutical industry, with Bavarian Nordic officially informing that it is ready to produce 10 million doses of vaccine against the virus by the end of 2025.
The announcement of monkeypox was preceded by an announcement concerning the new strain of the antibiotic-resistant bacterium hvKp (Klebsiella pneumoniae) which, according to a report, can lead to the death of even people with healthy immune systems.
The WHO said in a statement that it had received a large number of reports of increasing cases of infections from the superbug, which is resistant to available antibiotics and is commonly found in the environment, throat and gastrointestinal tract of various animals and humans.
HvKp is a big problem in hospitals and healthcare facilities in general since it can contaminate even medical equipment while in humans it causes pneumonia, urinary and nervous system infections, etc.
The WHO was concerned that this bacterium is mutating and new, more potent strains have begun to spread in the population.
As of last week, cases had been detected in 43 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and Japan.
Regarding the new wave of coronavirus, the WHO said last week that it shows increased activity internationally and spoke of an "alarming decrease in the vaccination coverage of the population".
The virus, according to the WHO, "continues to evolve and change, which exposes us all to the risk of a potentially more potent virus that may evade our detection and/or medical interventions, including vaccination."
The WHO announcement on hvKp and coronavirus was followed by the ECDC's announcement and recommendations on the Oropouche virus which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, and although it does not often lead to death, it appears to cause serious problems for pregnant women and foetuses, leading to miscarriages or developmental issues and deformities.
The impact of "OROV" on pregnant women
"The impact of OROV infection on pregnant women, foetuses and newborns could therefore be higher than for the general population, although this impact is still under investigation," the ECDC said in its report.
The first cases on European territory occurred in June and July 2024 in Spain (12), Italy (5) and Germany (2). Most patients had a history of travel to countries where the virus has been known for many years, such as Cuba and Brazil.
For OROV disease, which is caused by the virus, there are no vaccines available, nor specialized drugs.
The new variant of the monkey pox virus
The virus that causes monkeypox had recently caused an outbreak in 13 African countries, including some countries where cases had not previously been detected.
Although most people, who become infected with the virus, recover without any particular problems, mpox can lead to death. It spreads mainly through close contact with infected people and through sex.
The WHO's concern is heightened by the continued spread of the new variant of the virus, which is found to spread more easily through close contact, especially among children. The most characteristic symptom is a skin rash or pimples full of pus that can remain in humans for up to a month.
The new mutation appears to cause more severe symptoms, according to the WHO, while a study of patients hospitalized between October 2023 and January 2024 in eastern Congo showed that the new form causes rashes, mainly on the genitals, making the disease harder to detect.
