How does monkeypox spread? What do experts say?

99% of cases are transmitted through sexual activity, says a New England Journal of Medicine study

India has reported four monkeypox cases so far - three from Kerala and one from Delhi - the latest was a 34-year-old man with no history of foreign travel. Let's look deeper into what we know about the disease.

Is monkeypox an STD?

Ninety-nine per cent of cases were transmitted through sexual activity, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that looked at 528 people in 16 countries.

Also Read: How worried should we be about the monkeypox global health emergency?

"For the moment, this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. It is known that the virus can spread through physical contact, which includes kissing, touching, oral and penetrative vaginal or anal sex with someone who has symptoms. The WHO also said that rashes, body fluids and scabs were particularly infectious.

"Monkeypox spread gets amplified during sexual contact," Sir Ganga Ram Hospital's Dr Dhiren Gupta, intensivist and Senior Consultant, told ANI. "This contact can happen during intimate contact, including oral, anal and vaginal sex or touching the genitals of a person with monkeypox."

Also Read: Making sense of the ongoing monkeypox outbreak

The doctor said that having multiple or anonymous sex partners might increase one's chances of exposure to monkeypox. Scientists are, however, still trying to understand if the virus is present in semen, vaginal fluids or other body fluids.

What about using protection?

It is known that the virus can spread through hugging, kissing or coming in contact with bedding, clothes or objects used by an infected person, which means that barrier methods like condoms will not be effective, said the ANI report.

If monkeypox becomes an endemic STD, it is likely to become a bigger challenge for health departments that are already struggling to contain the spread of other STDs.