MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/. There is no information yet that the monkeypox virus has mutated, Natalya Pshenichnaya, Deputy Director for Clinical and Analytical Work at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing said on Wednesday.
"Currently, the situation is controlled and predictable so far. Yet, naturally, it should be closely monitored, everything should be tracked, again, the viruses isolated in patients - as far as I know, according to foreign specialists, they are being sequenced, those genomes are being uploaded and so far there is no information that the virus has mutated," she said.
The expert noted that a lot also depends on the quality of medical care in the country. "A lot also depends on the timely diagnosis. The level of medical care, the immunity level and a timely visit to a specialist for medical aid. Since, again, the risk of fatalities increases with neglected cases of a disease when patients come when the disease is already at a developed stage," she added.
According to the expert, there is no need to renew emergency vaccination against smallpox in Russia. She added that if such a decision is made, it will be on the international level.
"Again, we are watching now the development of the monkeypox situation as it is unfolding. Everything will depend on what we see in the near future. Because <…> now, basically, those monkeypox cases that were recorded on non-endemic territories are related, again, to two mass events. Even if this monkeypox spreads, then the causes are elsewhere," she noted.
The expert stressed the necessity of observing general precautions when interacting with those infected. However, during short-term contacts, for example, in public transportation, if general hand hygiene is observed, the risk of infection "is practically minimal.".