MONKEYPOX; HISTORY, OCCURENCE, SYMPTONS, PRVENTION, TREATMENT

Monkeypox is a contagious viral disease caused by the Monkeypox virus. The virus belongs to the orthopoxvirus group, that causes symptoms similar to those of smallpox and cowpox viruses. Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, or an animal disease that can be transmitted to humans. The virus is usually found in primates and rodents in Central and West Africa. History: The disease is called “monkeypox” because it was first discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It was first reported in humans during an outbreak of the disease in central and western Africa in 1970 and 1971. The second known outbreak among humans occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1996 and 1997. In June 2003 the first outbreak in the United States was reported after the virus passed from prairie dogs to humans in the Midwest. The prairie dogs had been infected by a giant Gambian rat that had been kept as a pet in Chicago. No deaths were reported among the 72 infected people treated. Occurrence: Monkeypox occurs mostly in the rain forests of central and western Africa. Blood tests of animals in Africa later found that other animals such as rats, mice, and rabbits probably had monkeypox. The Monkeypox virus itself was first recovered from an African squirrel, and it is believed that various species of African squirrels may be the most common host for the disease. It can be transmitted to humans through an animal bite or by direct contact with blood, body fluids, or rash of an infected animal. Human-to-human transmission occurs through respiration during long periods of face-to-face contact, or by touching either the bodily fluids of an infected person or objects such as bedding or clothing contaminated with the virus. SYMPTONS: In humans the symptoms of monkeypox are like those of smallpox, but usually milder. They first appear about 12 days after infection and include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. Up to three or more days after the onset of fever, a rash appears that then develops into fluid-filled bumps. The rash usually starts on the face and then spreads. The bumps eventually get crusty, scab over, and fall off. The illness usually lasts between two and four weeks. Prevention: maintenance of good personal hygiene (such as washing of hands with soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizers), avoid contacts with animals (such as pets, rodents, rabbits, mice e.t.c) that can harbour the virus including animals that are sick or that have been found dead in areas where monkeypox occurs, containment of outbreak through isolation of infected patients and by observing strict hygiene around them Treatment: There is no specific treatment for monkeypox. In Africa research indicates that those who received the smallpox vaccine had a lower risk of contracting monkeypox. Death occurs in some cases—between 1 and 10 percent in Africa—but is often due to inadequate nutrition and medical care. Inoculation with smallpox vaccine may offer some protection to people likely to be exposed to the virus, including veterinarians and other animal handlers.