What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a tropical disease that is caused by the Monkeypox virus that ranges within the Orthopoxvirus family, the same as that of smallpox. It was identified in the year 1958 when it was affecting lab monkeys, in the process of an epidemic. The first human infections were first reported in the early 1970s but, like most of its closest primate relatives, it is not nearly as deadly. When the people get infected, they are likely to be affected severely if they do not undergo treatment.
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How Does Monkeypox Spread?
Transmission happens through contact with affected animals, people and any other material that has come into contact with the virus. It becomes easier to prevent its spread once the process by which it spreads is understood.
Animal Transmission
Monkeypox is therefore a zoonotic disease and this means that it originates from animals. It is possible that the virus may be present in rodents, monkeys, and squirrels. Transmission can be directly through bites and scratches from animals or indirectly through contact with other body fluids of the affected animals.
Human-to-Human Transmission
The virus does not transmit from person to person as frequently but transmission is still a possibility.
It occurs mainly through:
- Skin lesions of an infected person, through close contact.
- Respiratory droplets from someone with whom they have long periods of face-to-face contact.
- From materials associated with an infected individual’s bedding or clothing.
General Symptoms of Monkeypox
Incubation period ranges between five- twenty one days after infection and manifestation is reported to occur. Some of the common signs of the disease may be mild and may become severe at some point, depending on the stage of the disease.
Early signs are flu-like, with the following symptoms.
The initial symptoms mimic those of the flu, including:
- Fever
- Chills
- Muscle aches
- Headache
You will probably not consider monkeypox at this stage because these symptoms are so nonspecific.
Severe Presentation Symptoms
As the disease progresses, particular symptoms start to arise such as:
- Enlarged lymph nodes, a major distinguishing factor from smallpox.
- Rashes become vesicular lesions, often beginning on the face and spreading to other parts of the body.
The rash progresses through several stages, eventually developing into scabs that the patient will slough off. This can take 2-4 weeks to fully resolve.
Causes of Monkeypox
Knowing what causes monkeypox can best equip you in protecting oneself.
Animal Transmission
Above mentioned, the main causation of this monkeypox is direct contact with infected animals. People who are mostly prone are through hunting, handling the bushmeat or living in badly sanitarily run areas.
Human-to-Human Factors
Some of the ways human to human spread occurs include poor hygiene, unhygienic living conditions and low levels of awareness. This is important to recall that correct hygiene practice and less contacts to infected patients are again essential.
Who is at Risk?
Who is susceptible to monkey pox includes the following:
- People who live in places where outbreaks have been reported.
- Health workers who care for infected patients.
- Individuals with poor immunity levels.
Children, pregnant women, and people who have previous health problems are also at risk of suffering worse symptoms.
Prevention and Precautions
Fortunately, there are measures you can take to protect yourself from monkeypox:
- Do not come into close contact with wildlife especially with animals that suspected to be sick.
- Regular wash hand with soap as this is one of the best measures one could undertake in order to prevent spread of diseases.
- Safety precaution would be, put on PPE when attending to the infected person.
- Go for a vaccination if you are in a high risk areas where you can be vaccinated.
For this let us remember that the adage ‘better late than never’ does not hold water when it comes to insurance; in fact, prevention is better than cure.
When Do You need to See Your Doctor?
When people begin having certain signs like, rash without apparent cause or fever of more than four days, they should not dismiss them. This means that the moment a person is diagnosed will help to avoid development of more severe forms and cease the spread of the pathogen.
Seek medical help immediately if:
- You’ve been in contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox.
- You’ve traveled to an outbreak zone and developed symptoms.
