Kajin Ṃajeḷ: chikinmelele.com/kojjela-mpox
Last summer I remembered hearing about some kind of monkeypox that could become the next pandemic. After a few weeks though it fell out of the news cycle. As it turned out, monkeypox was neither the next COVID or the next AIDS. It is not even primarily spread by monkeys, so the World Health Organization renamed it mpox. I learned this when I was reviewing the spelling for the translation of frequently asked questions about mpox distributed by the Oregon Health Authority – this and a lot more about this less deadly but rather unpleasant virus.
An outbreak of Mpox in 2022 appeared in 110 countries but the US accounted for more than a third of the global number of cases (a total of 29,913 cases). In early August of 2022, the US recorded a peak number of 600 cases a day. Antiviral drugs had not been federally authorized for the disease, testing was backed up, and vaccines were slow to arrive.
As the virus was mostly affecting gay and bisexual men at the time, the response of queer communities was influential in curbing the spread of the illness. In particular, mostly white gay and bisexual men who feel less marginalized than others in the larger population, took it upon themselves to reduce stigma, communicate symptoms, and seek vaccination and treatment. Right now, the current administration plans to withdraw the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency at the end of this month. This may leave some communities still at risk, particularly of the stigma associated with it as a sexually transmitted infection.
There are many possible ways the virus spread, other than sexual contact, during the recent outbreak. Mpox spreads through prolonged skin to skin contact and even contact with clothing and linens. So, someone who worked in housekeeping or health care could have reasonably needed a vaccination to protect against exposure through their work.
There are a few important things worth knowing about mpox. And, many thanks to those who work in translation for OHA making this information available in Marshallese. Continue reading in Marshallese.
Mpox is a virus related to smallpox that infects animals and is consisently present in the forested areas of Central and West Africa. The first human cases date back to 1970 but the virus was first discovered in monkeys in 1958. Despite its name, the primary carrier of the virus are actually rodents.
Mpox ej juon nañinmej aintowt bokḷap eo ej waḷọk ippān menninmour im ewaḷọk ilo jikin ko eḷap mar ilo Central im West Africa bōtaab ejab pād wōt ilo jejjetin juon jikin ilaḷin. Eṃōj kar kalikkar armej ewōr kar nañinmejin ippān ilo 1970 akō raar loe an ajeeded nañinmej in ippān ṃañke ilo juon jikin kakōlkōl ilo 1958. Ijokwe, menninmour eḷap an nañinmejin pād ippān menninmour rej ṃōttan kijdik.
There are two strains of mpox. The more severe strain MPXV-1 has a fatality rate of 10%. The 2022 outbreak involved the milder strain MPXV-2. In the US, there were only 20 mpox-related deaths.
Ewōr ruo ṃōttan nañinmej eo an mpox. Ekkā an MPXV-1 ḷapḷọk an kauwōtata im kōṃṃan mej kōn joñan eo ḷọk ñan 10%. Ilo Amedka ekar wōr 20 wōt mej kōn mpox. Nañinmej eo ilo 2022 im eḷap an kar waḷọk ekoba laḷ ko ejab ekkā an waḷọk nañinmej in im eaar waḷọk jān MPXV-2, nañinmej eo edikḷọk joñan.
It is transmitted from person to person by direct contact with rashes, scabs, or bodily fluids. Mpox can also be spread by touching objects, fabrics, and surfaces in contact with the respiratory secretions, like saliva, of a person with mpox.
Ej ajeeded jān armej ñan armej eḷapḷọk aer kar kaju kepaak nennab, kinej, ak dān in ānbwin ko an juon armej eo ewōr nañinmej ippān. Mpox emaroñ bar ajeeded jān ad jibwe ṃweiuk ko, nuknuk ko, im ioon jikin ko juon armej eo ewōr mpox ippān eaar kepaak pillil in dān in emmenono ko, āinwōt kapilo.
Symptoms include fever, chills, swollen galnds, and rashes. The rash which looks like pimples fills with fluid or pus. It takes 2-4 weeks for these scabs to heal over with fresh skin, and the virus is transmissible for the duration of symptoms.
Nañinmej eo ekkā an jino kōn piba, piọ, ebbōj buri, im nenneb. Emaroñ nennab eo āinwōt juon taeo ilo an būrōrō kil eo im wōr kobbaer kōn dān ak emed. Ekkā an bōk ruo ñan emen wiik ñan jako kinej ko kiliṃ, im emaroñ ajeeded nañinmej ilo tōrerein kakōlkōl ko.
Adults and children (but only children who have a history of scare tissue overgrowth) can receive an mpox vaccine called Jynneos. This is different from the smallpox vaccine though the illnessses are similar. States like Oregon will vaccinate people who have had close contact or are more likely to be in close contact with someone with mpox.
Ri rūtto im ajri (ak ajri wōt aer kar nañinmej kōn kinej ṃōrā) emaroñ bōk wā eo an mpox, etan Jynneos. Eoktak jān wā in bokḷap. Oregon ej wāiki armej ro raar lukkun kepaak ak emaroñ kepaak juon armej eo ewōr mpox.
Like other vaccinations, this is a series of two shots given under the skin. Some side effects include some discomfort at the injection site.
Āinwot jet wā ko, ewōr 2-ṃōttan wā kwōj bōk iuṃwin kil eo. Emaroñ wōr jet waḷọk jān wūno jidik metak ilo jikin eo raar wākare.
More information about mpox can be found at the following websites.
Kwōmaroñ loe eḷapḷọk meḷeḷe kōn mpox ilo webjait ko laajrak.