Even as the world is recovering from the Covid -19 pandemic, the emergence of the new and potentially dangerous virus, monkeypox, has caused flutters in the medical community. According to reports, the first case of the rare virus was confirmed in a man from Massachusetts who had recently travelled to Canada. 

The WHO committee that held the meeting to discuss the issue is the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards with Pandemic and Epidemic Potential (STAG-IH), has advised on infection risks that could pose a global health threat. 

According to the WHO, about 100 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in 11 countries. It also warned that more cases are likely to be reported. While more suspected cases are being investigated, the WHO has not named any country where the new found virus has been detected.

WHO says that it is working with the affected countries and others to expand disease surveillance to find and support people who may be affected. It has also warned against stigmatizing groups because of the disease. However, earlier infections were confirmed in Italy, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, United States, Canada, and United Kingdom, where the first European case was reported. Monkeypox is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa.

According to the UK’s National Health Service, it is a rare viral infection that is usually mild and from which most people recover in a few weeks. Meanwhile, the virus does not spread easily between people, and the risk to the wider public is said to be very low.

Following the outbreak of the monkeypox, the World Health Organization has now called for an emergency meeting. However, research and debate continue over whether monkeypox is a sexually-transmitted disease.

Monkeypox Decoded

Monkeypox is a rare, usually mild infection, typically caught from infected wild animals in parts of Africa. It was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, hence the name ‘monkeypox.’

The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox. Since then, monkeypox has been reported in humans in other central and western African countries.

Symptoms

Monkeypox typically begins with a flu-like illness. It usually takes between five to 21 days for the first symptoms to appear, if someone gets infected with monkeypox. Symptoms of this disease usually include a fever, a headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, shivering and exhaustion.

After the appearance of fever, Within 1 to 3 days or sometimes even longer than that, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.

To date, no one has died in the outbreak. Monkeypox typically causes fever, chills, rash and lesions on the face or genitals. WHO estimates the disease is fatal for up to one in 10 people, but smallpox vaccines are protective and some antiviral drugs are being developed.

Transmission 

Monkeypox can be caught from a bite by an infected animal, or by touching its blood, body fluids or fur. The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes – eyes, nose, or mouth. 

It’s very unusual to catch monkeypox from a human because it doesn’t spread easily between people.

It’s thought to be spread by rodents, such as rats, mice and squirrels. It’s also possible to catch the disease by eating meat from an infected animal that has not been cooked properly.

Human-to-human methods of transmission include direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linens. It is possible to spread the disease by touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the rash.

How Fatal

Studies in central Africa show the disease kills as many as one in 10 infected people, according to the World Health Organization. However, most patients recover within a few weeks.

Treatment

There’s currently no specific treatment for monkeypox. To control a monkeypox outbreak in the United States, the smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) can be used.

Patients will usually need to stay in a specialist hospital so the infection doesn’t spread and general symptoms can be treated.

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