Mpox epidemic disinformation debunked

A video circulating on X and Facebook features Wolfgang Wodarg, a German doctor known for his anti-vaccine stance, falsely claiming that mpox and shingles share the same symptoms. He also alleged that the pharmaceutical industry is using fear to profit. This is incorrect. Mpox, first identified in the 1970s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), predates Covid vaccines and is not linked to them.

Mpox is caused by a virus transmitted from infected animals to humans through close contact, and it belongs to the poxvirus family, unlike shingles, which is caused by herpes. Their symptoms differ significantly, with shingles causing painful, smaller lesions.

Some social media users have wrongly dismissed their risk of mpox with homophobic remarks. Richard Martinello, an infectious disease specialist at Yale University, clarified that mpox spreads through close, skin-to-skin contact, not sexual orientation.

Antoine Gessain from the Pasteur Institute noted that mpox is carried by fluid in skin vesicles and can be transmitted through skin contact, including among children. The disease also affects heterosexuals with multiple partners, as seen in the DRC outbreak in late 2023.

A conspiracy theory revived from a 2022 video by controversial French researcher Didier Raoult claims that an effective drug for mpox, Tranilast, exists but is not marketed due to its low cost. However, Tranilast, approved in Japan and China for asthma, has not been clinically tested for mpox.

Vaccination, education, and isolation measures successfully managed the 2022 mpox outbreak. Raoult, previously criticized for unauthorized trials of hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19, has faced backlash from French medical bodies.

The WHO has debunked false claims of 'mega lockdowns' due to mpox, stating that while it provides technical advice, countries make their own health decisions. Conspiracy theorists also claim mpox is a "plandemic" orchestrated by the WHO and pharmaceutical companies. The French Education Ministry has denied rumors that the school year start was delayed due to mpox.