In the news

Monkeypox    (Yawn!)

            Monkeypox is getting more media attention than the war in Ukraine, another sign of the lunacy of the mainstream media. What is happening in Ukraine is likely to affect the well-being of millions of people, far beyond that country’s borders; monkeypox doesn’t come close.

            Monkeypox, like  cowpox of the 18^th century, got its name from the animal with which it was first associated and it was identified decades ago. It has a very low mortality rate, barely one percent and that is probably less in healthy, well-nourished, immune-competent individuals. Most cases have occurred in Africa among folks who eat primates and rodents, in both of which the disease is endemic. What is emerging now around the globe is another quasi-sexually transmitted disease. If that description seems odd it’s because unlike the typical STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) – formerly called STD (sexually Transmitted Disease) – monkeypox is the result of close physical contact, not necessarily involving juxtaposition of certain body parts. Although it is closely related to smallpox, a scourge that wiped out tens of millions of lives from the time it emerged at the dawn of the Agricultural Revolution until its elimination in the 1970s, it is rarely fatal and there is already a vaccine that is likely to be effective.

            There have been more than 600 cases of monkeypox in at least 26 countries, an epidemiological anomaly considering that until a few months ago there were only a few cases reported each year and virtually all patients were infected in Africa. In the united Kingdom there were only seven reported cases in 2018 through 2021. Although some media outlets have avoided or downplayed the evidence that this is a disease that is occurring almost exclusively in gay men the explosion in the number of cases appears to be related to a large gathering of the gay community – estimated at 80,000 persons – in the Canary Islands. Clusters of infection have also been occurring at events and in localities frequented by gay men.

            As the term pox would imply, it is almost always marked by a pustular skin rash; fever is common and complications include damage to the cornea of the eye and inflammation of the brain. Patients often have a compromised immune system or are malnourished and secondary bacterial infections are therefore common.

Where things are headed

            Monkeypox, like the current pandemic coronavirus, is here to stay. It’s likely that we will see a continued rise in cases and clusters following gay pride events around the globe. Although the spread to animal populations, both wild and domestic, is possible, it is quite unlikely.

            The smallpox virus does not mutate with great frequency and it’s doubtful that this will occur with monkeypox. At the moment there are no safe and effective drugs for monkeypox but we can expect that as cases increase in developed countries there will be a push to develop effective antiviral treatment.

In summary

            Monkeypox will soon fade from the headlines but not from the world. It is a threat only in the gay community whose members often have multiple STIs and whose immune systems are compromised by infection or prescription drugs.

Lifestyle

Dieting Guidelines

            What are “good” carbs? Answer: the kind that humans were intended to eat. They include green, leafy vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, root vegetables and legumes – each of these should be eaten almost every day and all in great variety. In other words, carbohydrate foods are not villains – unless they are the refined type such as white flour, sugar, rice, baked potatoes and french fries. Hold on! Am I saying that you need to banish these great-tasting foods from your life? Nope! But give some thought to cutting back on these things that are the single most common reason why we are fighting epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

            How does your diet plan measure up? Remember that your Stone Age ancestors were able to choose from more than 100 different plant species no matter where they lived – most of them, of course, living in the temperate regions of Africa until a couple of thousand generations ago. Your local supermarket doesn’t come close to that kind of variety but with summer just days away why not try a few new veggies?

            No one of those types of plant foods provides everything that we need. Green leafies (is that a word?) and nuts give us omega-3 fats, berries provide antioxidants, fruits and root vegetables yield fiber and legumes give us protein.

            Variety isn’t the spice of life; it’s the price of life.