I read each edition of (General Medicine) Journal Watch.
It reviews recent medical articles and presents them in an abbreviated format-something appreciated by most family physicians.
The most recent had a section entitled, Mpox (Monkey Pox) on the Seas.
Mpox is caused by the Monkeypox virus, is transmitted through close, usually intimate, contact, has symptoms that include fever, malaise, chills, headache, sore throat, cough and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash that may be located on the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genitals, and typically lasts 2-4 weeks. Treatment is mainly supportive, including pain management.
It noted that on one cruise (that was marketed to gay and bisexual men), 3 symptomatic passengers reported a combined total of about 80 sexual contacts (all of which were verified as male-to-male sexual encounters).
This had to be a typo, right?
I reviewed the original publication.
It wasn’t.
On the cruise, one passenger had 50 sexual encounters during the voyage, another passenger had 25, and a third passenger had 4 (Total of 79!).
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) initiated appropriate tracers (reaching out to those who had contact with the symptomatic passengers).
The effectiveness of the mpox vaccine for post-exposure prophylaxis is greatest if/when administered within 4 days (that’s why pre-exposure prophylaxis with the vaccine is preferred).
If I was a CDC employee, I would have immediately volunteered to do tracers on the third passenger.
But, since I’ve always been a team player, would have (eventually) assisted colleagues who were tracing the other 75!
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