Japan’s 1st case of monkeypox renews calls for handwashing

The rst case in Japan of monkeypox, which has been spreading alarmingly around the globe, has been con rmed in Tokyo, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced on Monday. e infected person is a male Tokyo resident in his 30s who experienced symptoms of fever, headache, a rash and fatigue. He is currently hospitalized in Tokyo and in stable condition, according to the ministry.

e ministry said that the man visited Europe in late June and returned to Japan in mid-July. He started feeling sluggish on July 15 and went to a health care facility in Tokyo on Monday.

Monkeypox — an infectious disease similar to smallpox — was detected in a test conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health. It became known that during his stay in Europe, the man had come into contact with a person who would be later diagnosed with monkeypox.

A public health center is working with the man to trace his movements since returning to Japan to determine whether anyone came into close contact with him.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and other sources, human-to-human transmission of monkeypox is possible through contact with a skin rash or the body uids of an infected person.

e incubation period is about seven to 14 days, and symptoms such as fever, headache and swollen lymph nodes last for one to ve days, a er which a rash develops. Full recovery takes between two and four weeks a er onset.

Most patients recover naturally, but children are said to be at risk of developing severe symptoms. Smallpox vaccines stockpiled in Japan have been found to be e ective in preventing monkeypox from developing or becoming worse. e normal course of action is to treat the symptoms, although there are curative drugs that have been approved in Europe.

In Africa, where the medical infrastructure can be insu cient, fatality rates are reported to be 3%-6%. But no deaths linked to monkeypox have been reported outside of Africa.

e spread of monkeypox had been largely limited to parts of Africa, but from this year, more than 16,000 cases have been reported in 75 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom and Spain.

On Saturday, the WHO declared “the escalating global monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”

CALM RESPONSE URGED

In response to the possible spread of monkeypox within the country, the health ministry has prepared smallpox vaccines, which are believed to be e ective against monkeypox, and curative drugs.

“Infections are spreading around the world,” Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said Monday night. “It’s not too big of a concern, but please try to take precautions, such as by practicing good hand hygiene.”

Monkeypox is classi ed as a Category IV infectious disease, the same as rabies and dengue fever. Doctors must report cases where a patient has been infected with the disease to a public health center.

Most patients do not need to be hospitalized, but the ministry has asked prefectural governments to be ready to accept patients in hospitals.

No drug has been approved for monkeypox in Japan.

e ministry has imported tecovirimat, a drug approved for smallpox in Europe, and set up a system to administer the drug for a clinical trial in Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi and Okinawa prefectures.

Smallpox vaccines, meanwhile, are said to be about 85% e ective in preventing monkeypox. e ministry will allow administration of the vaccines to those who have had close contact with monkeypox patients at some hospitals for the purpose of clinical trials only. e ministry is considering formally approving use of the vaccines for monkeypox in the future.

e vaccines are being produced domestically, and a ministry o cial said, “We have secured enough doses.”

According to the WHO, patients in Europe and the United States, where monkeypox has spread rapidly, are mostly men, and many of them have had sexual contact with other men. Even so, infections can take place regardless of age or sex if a person comes into close contact with an infected person. e WHO has warned health care workers and families who live with patients to exercise caution.

“Sexual relations is not the only route of infections, so we don’t want the public to be prejudiced,” a ministry o cial said. “If you have a rash or any of the other symptoms, please visit a nearby medical institution and take basic infection control measures, such as sanitizing your hands and wearing a mask.”

Okayama University of Science Prof. Shigeru Morikawa, an expert on monkeypox, said, “Monkeypox has a low risk of transmission through droplets, and spreads mostly through close physical contact with an infected person.

“Infection control measures such as handwashing are common among Japanese. We should be able to prevent the spread of monkeypox in the country if we identify patients early and take adequate measures.”

e Foreign Ministry on Monday issued a Level 1 travel warning for monkeypox, the lowest level alert under its four-tier system of travel advice and warnings for infectious diseases. As for the novel coronavirus, Level 1-3 warnings have been issued for countries around the world, with Level 3 — “Avoid all travel” — having been issued for 41 countries. (July 27)