Did CDC Animal Experiments Cause the Global Outbreak of MonkeyPox?

Did CDC Animal Experiments Cause the Global Outbreak of MonkeyPox?

The CDC states that Until recently MonkeyPox was a rare infectious viral disease limited to several central and western African countries or through imported animals.

Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research. Despite being named “monkeypox,” the source of the disease remains unknown. However, African rodents and non-human primates (like monkeys) might harbor the virus and infect people.

The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970. Prior to the 2022 outbreak, monkeypox had been reported in people in several central and western African countries. Previously, almost all monkeypox cases in people outside of Africa were linked to international travel to countries where the disease commonly occurs or through imported animals. These cases occurred on multiple continents.

Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.

Monkeypox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some animals. Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms ranges from five to twenty-one days.

Monkeypox and the LGBTQIA+ community

So far most—but not all—monekypox cases are among men who have sex with men, and particularly those who have multiple sexual partners, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president, has said men who have sex with men should be among those prioritized for the monkeypox vaccine in the United States.

Two cases of monkeypox have been identified in children in the United States, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The two cases are unrelated and probably the result of household transmission, the CDC said. Rochelle Walensky, MD, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicated the following about these two monkeypox cases: “Both of those children are traced back to individuals who come from the men who have sex with men, the gay men’s, community. So, when we have seen those cases in children, they have generally been what I call adjacent to the community most at risk.”

One case is a toddler who is a resident of California. The other is an infant who is not a US resident. Public health officials are investigating how the children were infected.

The surge in monkeypox cases has caused concern since it marks the first time the virus has ever spread significantly outside of West and Central Africa, where it is endemic.

Monkeypox and the import of Animals

On January 22, 2022 a truck carrying about 100 monkeys was involved in a crash in Pennsylvania, state police said. Authorities were searching for at least three of the monkeys that appeared to have escaped the vehicle.

A  Pennsylvania woman Michelle Fallon fell ill shortly after helping at the scene of a crash. Fallon developed a severe cough and pink eye the day after the incident and visited the emergency room, according to Daily Mail. She reportedly received a rabies injection and antiviral medication, and she is monitoring herself for further symptoms.

While this crash may not have been ground Zero for the Global Spread of Monkeypox, it highlights the desperate global trade in animals for medical research. It is possible that "Animal Controls" with regards the sourcing and transportation of animals were not as stringent as they should have been during the pandemic and that monkeypox could have been spread as animals were shipped across the globe for research purposes.

ABC News reports: Cynomolgus monkeys are often used in medical research because their DNA resembles that of humans, and they have been in high demand since the beginning of the pandemic for testing vaccines.

Monkeys were in short supply even before the pandemic. A 2018 report by the National Institutes of Health said half of researchers had trouble finding enough animals, which led to talk of talk of creating a “strategic monkey reserve.”

Nearly 27,000 non-human primates were imported into the U.S. in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2020. That was down 21% from the previous year because of restrictions from the leading exporter, China, according to a CDC report.

The use of animals in research is controversial, however, and animal-rights groups have called for banning or limiting the practice.

Monkeypox and Sexual Behavior

If the same principles that were applied to COVID were applied to the LGBTQIA+ community monkeypox could be stopped in its tracks and a pandemic could be avoided. For the good of society and humanity as a whole, the LGBTQIA+ community should be immediately quarantined and all sexual activity should be avoided for at least 30 days.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says: "So far most—but not all—monekypox cases are among men who have sex with men, it is only and particularly those who have multiple sexual partners."

We know where monkeypox is in the global community and we know how it is currently being spread. It is particularly limited to a community of men having sex with men, meaning unlike COVID this virus could be "nipped in the bud" if the LGBTQIA+ community and ceased all sexual and physical and sexual contact for a period of 30 days. It's a small price to pay for the global good of humanity.

Will Monkeypox expose the sexual behavior of the LGBTQIA+ community and the extent of their contact with children and minors, and at the same time expose how unwilling the community is to end what could be a global pandemic?

We have the tools to prevent and to hold this outbreak. The only question now is will the LGBTQIA+ community do what is needed to stop a global pandemic.

Statement for Clarity

To be clear I am not claiming or suggesting that the LGBTQIA+ community practices any form of sexual activity with minors and children, anyone can catch the virus through close skin-to-skin contact. Including “holding, cuddling, feeding, as well as through shared items such as towels, bedding, cups, and utensils.” Neither am I claiming that the LGBTQIA+ community has sexual relations with animals or aids and assists, works in or facilitates the global trade of animals for experimentation.