The ongoing Monkeypox global situation has resulted in the unfortunate loss of 20 lives. Between May 13th, 2022 and September 19th of the same year, the world witnessed the registration of more than 62,000 instances of human monkeypox cases across 104 nations. Notably, 97 of these countries had no prior history of monkeypox outbreaks. This sudden spread of the Monkeypox virus has put the global health think tank to pause and ponder. Subsequently, there is a lot of discussion going around aspects like monkeypox symptoms, and monkeypox treatment. By knowing the relevant information about this condition, it is easy to spot the symptoms and get medical intervention whenever necessary.
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox, also known as Mpox, is a zootonic disease. It is important to understand that zoonotic illnesses, also called zoonoses, emerge when pathogens are transferred between animals and humans.
This virus appears in two primary forms or clades: Clade I, which originates in Central Africa, and Clade II, emerging from West Africa. The ongoing worldwide outbreak spanning from 2022 to 2023 can be traced back to Clade IIb, a specific subtype within the milder West African clade.
Causes of Monkeypox
The Mpox virus is the primary cause of monkeypox. This virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family. It is worth noting that encounters with Mpox are rare, making it an infrequent phenomenon. It is important to understand that this virus has the potential to affect anyone. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected animals, particularly rodents like squirrels and monkeys, or via consumption of their meat. Person-to-person transmission can occur through respiratory droplets, skin lesions, or close contact.
Symptoms of Monkeypox
The following are some of the commonly known monkeypox symptoms.
It is important to note that after you have been exposed to the virus, there's an average period of 1 to 2 weeks before symptoms become apparent. The initial monkeypox symptoms are quite similar to flu-like symptoms. If you have had close contact with someone with monkeypox, seeking medical help is recommended. You might experience chills, fatigue, fever, headache, muscle and back discomfort, and swollen lymph nodes.
Generally, the illness caused by monkeypox sticks around for about 2 to 4 weeks.
There may be a rash that might resemble pimples or blisters and might make you uncomfortable. It can pop up on different parts of your body, such as your face, mouth, hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus. In severe cases, seeking emergency medical attention is crucial. This applies if you experience extremely stiff neck, chest pain, trouble speaking, passing, difficulty in moving, seizures or problems in breathing.
Potential Complications Associated with Monkeypox
By knowing what is monkeypox's potential complications, you can take adequate steps as soon as possible. You should be aware that potential complications associated with the Mpox condition typically include bronchopneumonia, sepsis, encephalitis (inflammation of brain tissue), corneal infection affecting the outer layer of your eye, and the risk of secondary infections. During the recent monkeypox outbreak, 41% of individuals with HIV had the virus, raising worries about its persistence in HIV/AIDS patients.
How Does Monkeypox Spread?
Direct contact with the skin lesions, blood, or bodily fluids of an infected person puts you at risk of contracting the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox spreads primarily through rodents like dormice, striped mice, Gambian rats, and African rope squirrels. This virus can essentially affect anyone belonging to any age, gender, race, or sexual orientation. Be cautious about indirect transmission, like touching areas of an infected person's body such as the eyes, mouth, genitals, or items they've touched, like bedding or towels.
Close contact with bodily fluids or lesions of an infected animal is also a potential route. If an animal carries the virus, it can be transmitted to you through actions like scratching, licking, or biting. When you consume the meat of an infected animal, it can result in virus transmission to you.
Activities as personal as sexual contact can also lead to the virus transferring. If you are pregnant and infected, there's a risk of passing the virus to your developing foetus. In some cases, the virus can enter your system through infected respiratory droplets released when someone coughs or sneezes. This means you could contract the virus without direct physical contact.