Over the past few days, the emergence of human cases of monkeypox infection (hereinafter referred to as monkeypox cases) has attracted people’s attention. Many cases of monkeypox have been reported in the UK and the first case of monkeypox in the United States this year. The Spanish Ministry of health is preparing to approve the purchase of traditional smallpox vaccine to prevent the possible outbreak of monkeypox.
Affected by this, the prices of concept stocks related to “poxvirus” rose one after another in China’s A-share market.
monkeypox cases in many European countries
On May 19 local time, the European Center for disease prevention and control announced that since the UK health and Safety Agency (ukhsa) reported the first case of monkeypox on May 7, more cases have been reported in the UK. On May 14, two confirmed cases were found in the UK. The cases came from the same family, had no recent travel history, and were not related to the case reported on May 7. On May 16, the British health and safety agency reported four cases again. These cases also had no travel history in epidemic areas recently, and there was no correlation with previously reported cases. These four cases were all male.
It is not just the UK that has found cases. On May 18, Portugal reported 5 confirmed cases of monkeypox and more than 20 suspected cases. Both confirmed and suspected cases were male, both from Lisbon and Taho valley. Spain found eight suspected cases, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of monkeypox this year.
Monkeypox is a viral disease. Monkeypox virus can be transmitted to people through bites by infected animals or direct contact with wounds, body fluids or respiratory droplets of infected animals, or among people. Symptoms of infection include fever, headache, muscle soreness, back pain and enlarged lymph nodes, chills and fatigue, followed by extensive rashes on the face and body. Most infected people will recover within a few weeks, but others are more seriously ill.
In a communique issued on May 18, who said that the source of infection of the case has not been confirmed. Judging from the existing information, the infection seems to have occurred in the UK. At present, the transmission degree of monkeypox virus in the UK is unclear, and more cases may be found. The World Health Organization also recommended that the UK continue to strengthen public health measures.
detection and diagnosis stocks strengthened
According to the article published by the network of China Centers for disease prevention and control in 2017, monkeypox is a zoonotic disease. It was found in experimental animals monkeys in 1958 and first found in humans in 1970. It is mainly found in rainforest countries in central and western Africa. Human infection with monkeypox virus is less pathogenic than its similar virus smallpox virus, and can still lead to death. The mortality rate is 1% – 10%. So far, there is no effective treatment.
A spokesman for the health and safety agency said that although there was no specific vaccine for monkeypox, the smallpox vaccine could provide some protection. The global times also reported that monkeypox and smallpox are close relatives. Their genomic structures are very similar, and they also have many similarities in biological characteristics and pathogenicity.
In addition, according to local media, the Spanish Ministry of health began to prepare the procedure for approving the purchase of a large number of traditional smallpox vaccines to prevent the possible outbreak of monkeypox.
On May 20, A-share detection and diagnosis concept stocks strengthened, and Shanghai Zj Bio-Tech Co.Ltd(688317) , Daan Gene Co.Ltd(002030) , Berry Genomics Co.Ltd(000710) and other stocks rose one after another. Of which Shanghai Zj Bio-Tech Co.Ltd(688317) increased by 16.34% Daan Gene Co.Ltd(002030) in response to investors’ questions on May 10 this year, he said, “there is a reserve of monkeypox virus related scientific research products, and there is no relevant certified reagent for the time being”. Another enterprise Jiangsu Bioperfectus Technologies Co.Ltd(688399) official website also shows that the company has monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kit (fluorescence PCR method). It is reported that the product is only used for Disease Control and scientific research. The Beijing News reporter learned from the official website of the State Food and drug administration that the product has not obtained the registration certificate.
However, many enterprises are busy clarifying, Hainan Shuangcheng Pharmaceuticals Co.Ltd(002693) just in response to the investor’s “whether there are drugs to treat monkeypox”, said that it is not clear about the pathogenesis and other information, and there is no drug for this indication Wuhan Easy Diagnosis Biomedicine Co.Ltd(002932) also said that there was no monkeypox detection business.
