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According to CCTV News, on Monday, August 26, local time, the Philippine Ministry of Health said that two new cases of monkeypox were confirmed in the capital Manila, which means that the total number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in the country since 2022 has risen to 12.

In addition, the Thai health department has previously confirmed that the first patient infected with the "branch Ib" monkeypox virus has appeared in the country.This is also the first time that this new, more easily transmissible strain of monkeypox virus has been reported in Asia.

Since this year, more and more monkeypox patients have been infected with the variant of the monkeypox "branch I" strain, "branch Ib". Unlike the previous monkeypox virus, which was mainly transmitted through direct contact or sexual contact,Type Ib variant virus can be transmitted through respiratory dropletsCurrently, many Asian countries and regions, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and China, have heightened their vigilance against the importation of monkeypox outbreaks.

In this regard, Daniel Bausch, the British representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network Steering Committee and professor of tropical medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, pointed out in an interview with the "Daily Economic News" reporter that the most important way to control the further spread of the monkeypox epidemic is to change people's behavior, that is, to avoid close contact with people confirmed to be infected with monkeypox. "The experience during the global monkeypox outbreak in 2022 shows that we can effectively treat monkeypox patients and bring the epidemic under control."

On August 26, 2022, in Chicago, the United States, medical staff injected monkeypox vaccine to a recipient. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Vincent Johnson)

What is different about the variant “Clone Ib”?

Data released by the WHO recently showed that more than 15,600 cases of monkeypox have been reported so far this year.

On August 26, local time, the Philippine health department said that the country had confirmed two new cases of monkeypox virus infection, and the number of active cases has now increased to three. It is reported that the newly confirmed cases are two men, aged 37 and 32, both of whom have skin damage symptoms such as rashes.

Philippine Health Minister Herbosa said that the monkeypox epidemic is continuing to spread in the Philippines, especially in the Greater Manila area. It is reported that this is the third case of monkeypox confirmed in the Philippines recently. Since July 2022, the total number of confirmed cases in the Philippines has increased to 12.

In addition, the spread of the new strain of monkeypox virus, "branch Ib", is also worrying. According to the WHO, the "Ib variant" of the monkeypox virus appeared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year and spread rapidly. It has now spread to neighboring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, which have never reported cases of monkeypox.

On August 22, Thailand reported the first case of the monkeypox virus "branch Ib" variant strain in Asia. Unlike previous monkeypox viruses, which were mainly transmitted through direct contact or sexual contact, the Ib variant virus can also be transmitted through secretions (such as respiratory droplets), rashes or contaminated objects.

Earlier this month, the WHO listed the monkeypox outbreak as a "public health emergency of international concern". The monkeypox outbreak poses a risk of spreading. This is the second time the WHO has issued the highest level of alert on the monkeypox outbreak since July 2022, which has attracted great attention from the international community. It is worth noting that the new strain of monkeypox virus "branch Ib" is one of the main reasons why the WHO announced that the monkeypox outbreak once again constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern".

It is reported that,The "Ib variant" has a mortality rate of 3% and has now spread to many African countries. Among the known fatal cases, the proportion of patients under the age of 5 exceeds 60%.

"Daily Economic News" reporters noticed that with the discovery of imported cases in Thailand and the Philippines, many Asian countries are now on high alert and closely monitoring monkeypox cases: the governments of Japan and South Korea held meetings on the monkeypox epidemic; Malaysia requires all tourists entering the country from countries that have reported monkeypox cases to monitor their health for up to 21 days; Singapore requires suspected cases and close contacts of confirmed patients to be quarantined, and incoming passengers must also report related symptoms such as fever or rash; the General Administration of Customs of China also issued an announcement stating that people from countries (regions) where monkeypox epidemics have occurred, if they have been in contact with monkeypox cases or have symptoms such as fever, headache, back pain, etc., should actively report to customs upon entry.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis caused by the monkeypox virus, first discovered in the tropical rainforests of central and western Africa. Common symptoms of monkeypox include a rash that may last for 2 to 4 weeks, similar to smallpox, including fever, headache, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, and rash.

In most cases, monkeypox symptoms go away on their own or within a few weeks with supportive care, such as antipyretic and analgesic medications. However, some people may become seriously ill or develop complications or even die. Newborns, children, pregnant women, and people with underlying immune deficiencies may be at higher risk for severe monkeypox and death.

WHO expert: Most people in the world do not need vaccination

What matters is changing behavior

WHO is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential vaccine donations and coordinating with partners through the Temporary Medical Countermeasures Network to promote equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other tools. WHO estimates that an initial $15 million in emergency funding is needed to support surveillance, preparedness and response activities. Both vaccines currently used for monkeypox are recommended by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization.

In this regard, Professor Boschi, the UK representative of the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network Steering Committee, told the Daily Economic News reporter that with limited monkeypox vaccine supply, the most important way to control the further spread of the monkeypox epidemic is to change people's behavior, that is, to avoid close contact with people who are currently diagnosed with monkeypox until their lesions disappear completely, which usually happens in about 3 weeks. "For many people around the world, such behavioral changes should not be too difficult."

Professor Boschi believes that most people in the world do not need to be vaccinated. "Vaccination is only for the current high-risk groups. If the supply of vaccine increases in the future, priority should be given to the people in Africa who are most seriously affected by monkeypox. Those who think they have been exposed or are currently infected should seek medical attention immediately and limit close contact with others."

He further explained, "Monkeypox is spread through close contact with someone who has the virus. Therefore, only people who have such close contact in areas where monkeypox is spreading need to be vaccinated. This includes family members of patients, healthcare workers, laboratory workers, sex workers, etc. Most people around the world do not currently fit this description and therefore do not need to be vaccinated."

Several A-share related companies responded

On August 27, monkeypox concept stocks were active. By the close of trading, Haichen Pharmaceutical had hit its 20% daily limit, Asia Pacific Pharmaceuticals and Hopewell China had their daily limits, and Cape Biopharm, Transgene, and Puli Pharmaceuticals followed suit.

So far, many A-share listed companies have responded to issues related to the monkeypox epidemic.

Hopeful China: The company has sold monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kits to some hospital customers, but monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection-related products account for a relatively small proportion of the company's performance and have not had a substantial or significant impact on the company's operating income.

Telegene: The company's monkeypox detection product has passed the EU CE certification, but it has not yet obtained the medical device registration certificate related to monkeypox detection approved by the National Medical Products Administration, nor has it received any related product orders.

Oriental Bio: The company's monkeypox detection-related products include monkeypox antigen detection reagents, monkeypox antibody detection reagents, and monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection reagents. Since obtaining the EU CE certification in May 2022, they have been sold to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, South Africa, Australia, Italy, Austria and other countries. The overall contribution to the company's current operating performance is relatively small. The company will subsequently arrange production capacity based on actual market demand and order situation.

KeyGen Bio: The company's medical laboratory has the laboratory testing capability for monkeypox virus and has independently developed a monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kit (fluorescence PCR method). This product has obtained the CE certificate, but has not yet obtained a domestic medical device registration certificate. The invention patents related to monkeypox virus, "A monkeypox virus pseudovirus particle and a preparation method thereof" and "A multiplex qPCR kit for simultaneous detection and identification of monkeypox virus type I, type IIa and type IIb" have been authorized by the State Intellectual Property Office.

Puli Pharmaceuticals: At present, there is no comprehensive clinical research in China to prove the therapeutic effect of the two drugs, Tevirima and Brincidofovir, on monkeypox virus, and their effectiveness still needs further demonstration. The company's Tevirima API and injection, and Brincidofovir API are still in the research and development stage, and pharmaceutical products are technically complex and high-risk. The technology from product development, clinical trial approval to production is complex, the cycle is long, and there are many links. Whether it can be approved for marketing and when it will be approved is still uncertain.

Lepu Medical: The monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kit (PCR-fluorescent probe method) independently developed and produced by the holding subsidiary Beijing Lepu Diagnostics Technology Co., Ltd. has obtained the CE registration certificate.

Daan Gene: The company's monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kit (fluorescence PCR method) (CE registration certificate number: CIBG-20224074) has customers in Africa, Latin America, Europe and other regions.

Mike Biotech: On the product technology side, the company has completed the development of monkeypox detection reagents using fluorescent PCR technology and digital PCR technology under the molecular diagnostic platform, and the two products, the monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kit (fluorescent PCR method) and the monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kit (digital PCR method), have obtained EU CE access qualifications, but have not yet obtained product registration certificates from the National Drug Administration. On the market channel side, the company has steadily promoted the construction of overseas marketing channels according to the plan. In addition, it has strengthened in-depth research on changes in market demand for monkeypox detection products and closely tracked the development of monkeypox and market changes.

reporter| Cai Ding edit|Lu Xiangyong Gao Han Du Hengfeng Du Bo

Proofreading|Cheng Peng

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