Nowadays you must have heard about “Monkey Pox” in TV news channels and newspapers and this question must have come to your mind what is this monkeypox after all. You must have heard the name of Chickenpox. In the same way, this is also a virus spread by monkeys, which is rapidly spreading all over the world. Let us know in detail how monkeypox infection is spread, and what is its treatment. To know more about the monkeypox symptoms and prevention measures, kindly continue reading.
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About Monkeypox Virus
Scientists are worried about the emergence of a rare infection in the world battling COVID-19, named ‘MonkeyPox’. Although no case of infection has been reported in India so far. But people in Britain, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and America have been found infected with it. On the other hand, Canada, Australia, and France are investigating possible infections of the disease, which can have a fatality rate of 10 percent. In all, there have been over 100 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox.
Latest News Update about MonkeyPox:
- Worldwide stir due to encounter of monkeypox patients
- Alert in India too, although no cases have been found yet
- The symptoms of monkeypox are similar to chickenpox and the treatment is also the same.
- Experts said that there is no need to panic about this virus in India, but more study is needed about it.
What is Monkeypox (History)?
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection similar to human smallpox. It was first detected in 1958 in monkeys kept for research. The first case of infection with monkeypox was recorded in 1970. The disease occurs mainly in tropical rainforest regions of Central and West Africa and occasionally spreads to other regions.
Dr. Monalisa Sahu, Consultant on Infectious Diseases at Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad said, “Monkeypox is a rare zoonotic disease caused by infection with Monkeypox virus. The monkeypox virus belongs to the family Poxviridae, which also includes the viruses that cause chickenpox”.
“Outside Africa, there have been cases of monkeypox in the US, Europe, Singapore, the UK, and these cases have been linked to international travel and transfer of disease-carrying monkeys,” she added.
Symptoms of Monkeypox illness
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox usually presents with fever, rash, and lumps and can lead to a variety of medical complications. Symptoms usually appear for two to four weeks and go away on their own. Cases can also be serious. In recent times, the mortality ratio has been around 3-6 percent, but it can be as high as 10 percent. No cause of death has been reported during the current spread of the infection.
- Let us tell you that Monkeypox is milder than smallpox and its symptoms are fever, headache, body rash, and flu-like. These symptoms go away on their own within 3 weeks.
- Apart from this, monkeypox also enlarges the lymph nodes or glands in the body.
- Most people exposed to monkeypox have experienced only fever, body aches, chills, and fatigue.
- If the infection is more severe, there may be a rash and sores on the face and hands, which can gradually spread to the rest of the body.
Treatment of Monkeypox – People exposed to the virus are often given a few doses of the smallpox vaccine, as it has been shown to be effective against monkeypox.
Apart from this, scientists are also engaged in making antiviral drugs. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) recommends isolating all suspects and giving people at high risk the smallpox vaccine.
How is the Monkeypox Infection spread?
Monkeypox is spread to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or through material contaminated with the virus. It is believed to be transmitted by animals such as rats, mice, and squirrels.
The disease is spread through wounds, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated material such as bedding. This virus is less contagious than smallpox and causes less severe illness.
Health officials say some of these infections can be transmitted through sexual contact. The WHO said it was also investigating a number of cases involving gay or bisexual people.
Is India at risk from Monkeypox?
According to Dr. Ishwar Gilada, President of the AIDS Society of India, “This virus usually spreads in animals but later it spreads from animals to humans. Monkeypox is zoonotic like HIV. It came in the form of a virus. It is called the simian immunodeficiency virus. Such viruses are spread in animals but reach humans. There is no evidence to suggest that this virus can cause epidemics. But the surprising thing is that no single source or contact is being found for all cases of monkeypox infection, so the possibility of its sexual transmission is being investigated”.