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Liz Highleyman Profile picture
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May 19 • 8 tweets • 5 min read
New report on our latest viral foe. I bring up gay men because that's relevant to @pozmagazine readers, but #monkeypox is not solely a "gay disease" & it can be transmitted by any close contact. @Boghuma @ProfKevinFenton @UKHSA @CDCgov
bit.ly/3Pv6fK2
In addition to direct contact with animals, #monkeypox can also be transmitted from person to person via respiratory droplets, saliva & other body fluids and contact with skin lesions or contaminated clothes or bedding.
Like the ongoing—and still unexplained—pediatric #hepatitis outbreak, the new monkeypox cases have spurred much speculation in the press & social media, including questions about whether they might somehow be connected to COVID-19.
bit.ly/3729qri
While researchers & public health officials race to find answers about the new outbreak, monkeypox transmission can be prevented through familiar precautions including handwashing, disinfecting surfaces, wearing a good-quality face mask & avoiding close personal contact.
I’ve seen lots of people wanting a smallpox vaccine. That seems completely unnecessary, given what we know about #monkeypox so far.
If you are exposed to monkeypox, you can get a vaccine as post-exposure prophylaxis for up to 2 weeks, though sooner is better.
.@edyong209 addresses the speculation that #monkeypox may be spread through aerosols, not just respiratory droplets. This doesn't appear likely.

Related thread that goes more into newly reported cases & what groups are affected (at last tally, so far all men between ages 20 and 55).

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More from @LizHighleyman

Liz Highleyman Profile picture
May 21
I don’t know how to say this without offending anyone, but acknowledging that #monkeypox is spreading within gay networks – & some gay & bi men have a lot of sex – is not inherently homophobic. 1/ Image
All but 1 of ~150 confirmed or suspected #monkeypox cases compiled by @globaldothealth are young or middle-aged men. Many known to be gay or bi, diagnosed at STD clinics or reportedly attended gay venues (saunas) or events (fetish festival). 2/
bit.ly/3MFdOvS
As @angie_rasmussen says in this🧵, viruses are opportunists. Initial genomic analysis done so far suggests that #monkeypox has not evolved to become more transmissible. Rather, it’s taking advantage of niches & conditions that facilitate its spread. 3/

Read 14 tweets
Liz Highleyman Profile picture
May 20
😥😡 "U.S. federal agencies have removed 145 dogs and puppies in “acute distress” from a major facility that breeds and supplies #beagles for research, according to a complaint filed on 19 May in district court by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)." 1/
bit.ly/3yK7qj0 Image
I acknowledge that some medical research on animals is necessary -- that's how we get lifesaving drugs & vaccines. But at the very least, lab #beagles, monkeys & other lab animals should be treated well & receive good care. 2/
beaglecare.com/why-are-beagle…
And they should only be used when necessary. A House committee recently passed act to eliminate archaic animal testing requirements.
“We can apply human biology-based test methods to better predict how humans will respond to drugs in clinical trials.” 3/
bit.ly/39IwqfO
Read 5 tweets
Liz Highleyman Profile picture
May 20
.@CDCgov just did another media briefing on pediatric #hepatitis. They're now investigating 180 cases in US Median age 2, most pre-school age. Haven't identified any new factors, adenovirus 41 still leading suspect.
Here's latest report released 5/18:
bit.ly/3LAieTo
CDC's Jay Butler emphasizes pediatric #hepatitis isn't an "outbreak" per se, as in a spike in new cases. Many of cases being investigated are retrospective. Hard to tell if new cases represent an increase over typical level of severe liver disease in kids (~1500-2000 annually).
Umesh Parashar noted survey of 17 European countries in which 5 reported some increase in pediatric #hepatitis over previous epidemiological trends, but 12 did not. And of 7 non-European countries surveyed, only 1 reported an increase.
Read 5 tweets
Liz Highleyman Profile picture
May 19
The #monkeypox outbreak -- like the pediatric #hepatitis outbreak -- has an element of "seek and you shall find." How many cases of flu-like symptoms with a mild rash or elevated liver enzymes in kids went undetected when people weren't looking for them?

bit.ly/3Pv6fK2
.@MOUGK is keeping a running tally of confirmed & suspected #monkeypox cases. Strikingly, the 75 cases listed so far are all men in the 20-40 or 30-55 year age range.🤔
I'll just add that if #monkeypox does turn out to be a sexually transmitted outbreak among gay men, there's no shame in that. Drawing on their experience with @hiv, the community has done a good job being vigilant about their health & informing partners.
Read 5 tweets
Liz Highleyman Profile picture
Apr 13
I was an early mask adopter -- & they make intuitive sense -- but a growing body of evidence shows that mask mandates don't appear to make much difference at the community level. Image
In the U.S., communities with & without mask mandates have had similar case trajectories. Worldwide, countries with a high level of cultural acceptance & near-universal mask use have not escaped steep waves similar to those seen in more mask-resistant countries.
Well-fitted N95s are highly protective, but we're doing vulnerable people a disservice by leading them to believe that real-world mask use -- typically involving flimsy cloth or surgical masks -- offers them meaningful protection.
Read 12 tweets
Liz Highleyman Profile picture
Apr 12
CoVac-1 is an experimental #COVID19 peptide vaccine designed to maximize T-cell response. In a Phase I/II study, it induced T-cell responses in ~90% of immunocompromised people with impaired B-cell function. @LabWalz
#AACR2022 #AACR22
bit.ly/3O3tytP
The CoVac-1 vaccine includes peptides from 6 viral components, not just the spike protein targeted by the vaccines approved in the U.S. More targets could mean better durability as spike mutates.
CoVac-1 was given as a single injection in the abdomen, which could be a barrier, both for the needle-averse & in terms of administration logistics. (Not clear if upper arm injection would be feasible.)
Read 6 tweets

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