African Endemic Monkeypox Shows Signs of Spreading in Europe and the US
Some Reports Fuel Hate by Blaming 'Sex Between Men'
Lessons from Early COVID-19 'Itaewon Infection Incident' Must Be Remembered
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] Recently, some reports have highlighted specific transmission routes such as 'transmission through sexual contact between men' in relation to the globally spreading monkeypox. Although monkeypox can infect anyone who has close contact with an infected person, there is criticism that emphasizing only the connection with sexual minorities is fueling stigma.
Monkeypox, a viral disease that has been prevalent in Africa, is now spreading worldwide, including North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Monkeypox is a viral infectious disease similar to smallpox, first discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958. Since the first human infection case was confirmed in Congo in 1970, it has mainly been known to occur in Central and West Africa.
However, recently, cases of monkeypox infection have been found in Europe and the United States among people without a history of travel to Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on the 21st (local time) that 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases had been identified in 12 countries including the United States and Germany. Subsequently, additional cases were found in Israel, Switzerland, and Austria.
Meanwhile, some media outlets have focused their coverage of the monkeypox spread on 'transmission through sexual contact between men.' Headlines such as 'Warning for sexual contact between men' and 'Fatal infectious disease contracted after sex between men' were used.
It is true that the proportion of infected individuals who are homosexual or bisexual men among monkeypox cases is notable. The UK health authorities introduced four cases where the virus was transmitted through sexual contact between men and announced that "cases among gay and bisexual men in the UK and Europe accounted for a significant proportion." Reuters reported on the 20th (local time) that Madrid health authorities in Spain are intensively tracking multiple infection cases occurring in facilities used by men who have sex with men.
However, experts point out that it is difficult to classify monkeypox as a sexually transmitted disease. WHO stated, "The risk of infection is high when there is close physical contact with a monkeypox patient, and this risk is not limited to men who have sex with men." Professor Jaegab Lee of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital said in an interview on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "Some say that because monkeypox occurred among some men and homosexuals, it must be transmission between homosexuals, but not all cases are like that. It is understood to have spread within a group having close contact."
There have been cases of stigma and hate attacks linking infectious diseases to specific minority groups, as seen during the COVID-19 outbreak. In May 2020, during the early spread of COVID-19 in Korea, when it was revealed that a confirmed patient had visited a club mainly frequented by sexual minorities during the 'Itaewon cluster infection' incident, some media highlighted the fact by using the term 'gay club' in headlines, leading to criticism directed at sexual minorities.
The bigger problem is that this approach not only intensifies hatred toward specific groups but also makes it difficult to respond effectively to infectious diseases. During the Itaewon cluster infection incident, there were concerns that harsh criticism toward sexual minorities might cause them to avoid diagnostic testing, potentially accelerating the spread of the disease. At that time, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, "Criticism of a specific community does not help from a quarantine perspective, and if contacts avoid testing out of fear of criticism, our society will bear the damage."
UNAIDS criticized reports that emphasize infection cases among sexual minorities and use photos only of Black infected individuals on the 22nd (local time), stating, "AIDS taught us that when a specific group is stigmatized for an infectious disease, individuals may avoid revealing their identity, hindering disease response." Ken Montis, Executive Director of the Quebec AIDS Organization Network, pointed out on Canadian public broadcasting, "The virus spreads by itself. An individual's identity does not create or spread the virus."
Meanwhile, although monkeypox cases continue to increase, the prevailing opinion is that it is not as dangerous as COVID-19. This is because the fatality rate is low, and the smallpox vaccine and treatments have been proven to have high preventive and therapeutic effects. So far, no confirmed or suspected monkeypox cases have been reported in Korea. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency stated that it completed the development of diagnostic tests and reagents for monkeypox in 2016, establishing an effective response system, and that "we are monitoring overseas occurrences and are also considering designating it as a managed overseas infectious disease in the future."
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