Monkeypox (Varíola dos macacos) no Brasil: recorte epidemiológico de casos em Pernambuco de 2022 a 2023

Abstract

Monkeypox or Monkeypox is an infection of viral origin caused by a zoonotic virus, belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus and family Poxviridae. This work aimed to describe the monkeypox outbreak from the perspective of Public Health at a national level and focusing on Pernambuco over a period of 11 months (August 2022 to July 2023). To this end, a bibliographical survey was carried out based on different official publications available in national and international scientific literature databases, with an emphasis on data from the Ministry of Health and CIEVS Nacional and Pernambuco. The outbreak described here presented a higher geographic spread pattern than those already identified. In the first week of the initial epidemiological bulletin, 24 countries reported suspected and confirmed cases. In Brazil, a greater number of confirmed cases were observed in the Southeast region, with the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais responsible for the highest rates, followed by the Northeast and Central-West, respectively. The profile of those infected corresponds to males, with 96.2% (77,685/80,722) of confirmed cases worldwide, with a median age of 34 years. The age group with the highest number of confirmed cases in Pernambuco was between 30 and 39 years old, followed by people between 20 and 29 years old, considered mixed race, followed by white and black. Currently, positivity in most countries is confirmed by national reference laboratories using PCR (polymerase chain reaction). There is no proven specific antiviral treatment and as for most viral diseases, treatment is based on controlling the symptoms observed. There are no specific vaccines against the infection, however, epidemiological investigations indicate that the smallpox vaccine induces up to 85% protection against the Monkeypox virus.