A doctor from Chulalongkorn Hospital has warned that monkeypox could potentially spread in the same manner as HIV, with nightlife venues being at high risk of becoming transmission hotspots.
In his Facebook post, Dr. Thira Woratanarat, a medical doctor who specializes in epidemiology and health promotion at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, said monkeypox shares overlapping features with other infectious diseases such as COVID-19, as the virus spreads through environmental contamination and surfaces.
Dr. Thira warned that the monkeypox outbreak has a high chance of being prolonged, despite not being as widespread as COVID-19. Outbreaks within a community are also likely once a case emerges, especially at nightlife venues, tourist attractions, and overnight accommodations without adequate hygiene measures.
He said genetic materials of the monkeypox virus can be detected in respiratory droplets, blood, urine, and semen of patients, making it possible for the virus to spread to other humans through fomite transmission, which is when a person contracts the virus from touching a contaminated surface. This mode of transmission is however less frequent than intimate contact such as sexual activities.
Comparing monkeypox to HIV, Dr. Thira said superspreader events of monkeypox are likely to occur within at-risk populations and locations. However more widespread transmission remains a possibility with inadequate disease surveillance.
Despite the lower chance of transmission through surfaces, Dr. Thira continues to encourage the general public to be cautious and take preventative measures, which include the use of face masks and alcohol sanitizers. (NNT)
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