Monkeypox: Is it the new pandemic?

We are still not recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic and hearing about a new virus emerging is not at all good news. This is a sudden outbreak and there are many countries that are going through this outbreak. There are different Symptoms of Monkeypox that you need to be aware of. 

It is not a new virus and it has come from animals to humans. The name of this disease has nothing to do with monkeys. This virus was first identified in a group of monkeys. Which does not mean that it comes with the monkeys. However they can carry the virus on them.

To know more about this new but old illness make sure to go through the blog. It will allow you to better know about this disease and what are things that you can do to prevent it.

What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a similar disease like smallpox that was eradicated in 1980. But Monkeypox remained in the central and the west African region. On 13 may 2022 the first report of Monkeypox came to the WHO from a non endemic place. According to the WHO there are 92 confirmed cases as of 21st may.

It is a viral zoonosis which means that this virus is transmitted from animals to humans. However it can only transfer from person to person if there is a close contact:

• With lesions 
• Body fluids 
• Respiratory droplets 
• And contaminated materials such as bedding.

It can take around 6 to 13 days for the symptoms of Monkeypox to appear in people. You need to inform your doctor if any of the mentioned below symptoms occur. Because this disease is dangerous and can even cause death if the person does not get treatment in time.

Signs and symptoms of Monkeypox

There are several symptoms that might help you to identify that you might be suffering from Monkeypox. The symptoms of this disease are similar to smallpox but milder. The major difference between these diseases is that Monkeypox causes the lymph nodes to swell and small pox does not.

It takes usually 7-14 days for the symptoms to appear from the time of infection.

The illness starts with:

• Muscle aches 
• Headache
• Fever 
• Backache 
• Swelling in lymph nodes 
• Exhaustion 
• Chills 

After the fever it takes around 1-3 days for further symptoms to appear. The infected person may develop a rash. Usually starting with the face and then covering the whole body. After the rash you can see lesions occurring such as:

• Vesicles
• Macules
• Papules
• Scabs 
• Pustules 

These are some of the common symptoms that can appear in the infected person. Also, they are quite uncomfortable and generally last for 2-4 weeks.

How does Monkeypox transfer?

There are many ways that this virus can infect you. Make sure that you avoid doing things that expose you to Monkeypox. The transmission can occur if:

• A person comes into contact with a virus from an animal, humans or any material that is infected.
• Monkeypox virus can enter your body through broken skin, eyes, mouth, and nose. 
• This virus can travel from animals to humans in several ways. Such as a bite or scratch, body fluid or lesion material, bush meat, direct contact with lesion material such as contaminated bedding.
• Human to human transmission can also occur through direct to indirect contact. The primary travelling agents are large respiratory droplets which cannot travel more than a few feet. Therefore face to face contact is required.
• It can also reach your body from contaminated clothes or linens.

The main carrier of Monkeypox is still unknown. However the African rodents are said to be the main carrier of this disease. These are some ways that you can get infected with the virus. 

Now you know what are the ways you can get the infection. There are several ways that you can follow to prevent this disease. 

Preventions that you can take

There are certain precautions that will help you stay safe from this disease. It is important that you follow these precautions as this disease can even cause death. Therefore it is better to be on the safer side. 

Measures you can take for to stay safe from Monkeypox:

• Avoid making contact with the animals that carry this virus. You should also not touch any sick or dead animal in areas where Monkeypox occurs.
• Do not touch any material that has been in contact with infected animals.
• Infected people should isolate themselves because being in contact can increase the risk of infection.
• You can also maintain good hand hygiene by washing it with soap or using alcohol based hand sanitizers. If you come in contact with an infected animal or human.
• If you are a healthcare worker you can use PPE (Personal protective equipment) kit. As it does not allow the virus to reach your body.

These are some of the precautions that you can take. It will help you to be safe from the infection. If you are maintaining full preventions and still get infected you need to call for medical help immediately.

Available treatments for Monkeypox

There is no medication specifically made for Monkeypox. But that does not mean that it is untreatable. However this disease is self limiting which means that it can heal without any medication. 

There are some medicines that can help in controlling sudden outbreaks of the disease. And it also prevents the disease from spreading.

Medicines such as:

• Vaccinia immune globulin (VIG)
• Antiviral medicines in animals
• Vaccinia vaccine for smallpox.

WHO states that vaccines for smallpox are more that 80% effective in preventing Monkeypox. Therefore if you have got the vaccine for smallpox when you are a child the symptoms of this disease can be mild.

These are some of the treatments available for the issue. Make sure that you take any of the medicine mentioned above under medical supervision. 

Conclusion

Monkeypox is a disease that our health system is already familiar with. It has similar symptoms of smallpox and the medicine used for smallpox can also help in this situation. The best way to deal with this outbreak will be to follow the advice mentioned above.

Make sure to consult a doctor if you see any symptoms in your body. And the doctor will provide you the treatment according to your condition. The one thing that is in your hand is to stay conscious and safe by following precautions. I hope that you have found this blog informational.