An unusual spread of Monkeypox and why you should pay attention to it.

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Several cases of “Monkeypox” has been confirmed throughout Europe and America and scientists are “starting to be worrisome”

An unusual spread of Monkeypox and why you should pay attention to it.

Several cases of “Monkeypox” has been confirmed throughout Europe and America and scientists are “starting to be worrisome”

 

The UK was the first country to detect the outbreak. The latest update from the UK reported that 9 people had been found with the disease so far. While 14 cases are confirmed in Portugal, 30 cases in Spain, 3 cases in Italy, 2 cases in Belgium, 1 case in Sweden and several cases are being investigated in the US, Canada and Australia (May 18, 2022).

While we’re familiar with smallpox, monkeypox is in the same family and is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The case fatality rate for the West African strain is about 1% while the Congo strain is more severe with up to 10% fatality rate. The current outbreak is unusual in that chains of transmission have been reported with no known epidemiological links to West and Central Africa, where the virus is most prevalent.

The monkeypox virus spreads through close contact with lesions, bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding. The recent cases were primarily among men who self-identified as gay, bisexual or having sex with men. The disease is not an STI. However, it is very likely that it will be transferred during sexual activity. The ECDC is asking public health and community-based organizations to raise awareness about the potential spread of monkeypox in communities of people who identify as MSM, have casual sex, or have multiple sexual partners.

Monkeypox usually takes 6 to 13 days to incubate, but it can take up to 21 days. Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion. A rash may develop, typically beginning on the face and spreading to other areas of the body, including the genitals. The rash changes and progresses through stages that resemble chickenpox or syphilis before forming a scab that falls off.

The CDC stated that there is no proven, safe treatment for monkeypox virus infection at the moment. Smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) can be used to control a monkeypox outbreak in the United States.

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