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Monkeypox is actually a virus that is primarily transmitted from animals to humans.
Monkeypox belongs to the ‘Poxvirus’ family of viruses, this family is further divided into 2 subfamilies with 22 species and a total of 83 virus species in this family.
Viruses belonging to the above family include ‘small pox’ i.e. smallpox and due to its closeness in symptoms, Monkeypox is also called its cousin.
It should be known that the World Health Organization has changed the name of Monkeypoxto ‘Mpox’, but it is still known as Monkeypox.
Discovery of Monkeypox
Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 when a smallpox-like disease broke out among groups of monkeys used for research.
Scientists have yet to confirm the disease, but it is believed to be spread by small rodents and squirrels in the rainforests of Africa.
There are two types of Monkeypox virus. which are known as Central African and West African. Central African Monkeypox virus causes more severe infections and more deaths than the West African Monkeypox virus.
Symptoms of Monkeypox
Monkeypox usually begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue, which may last a day or two. One to three days after the fever, the rash appears, and after a few days, the rash becomes more visible on the body, increasing to small patches of red skin. They may then turn into blisters that may fill with a whitish fluid after some time.
It sometimes looks similar to chicken pox, syphilis or herpes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it usually spreads from the face to the limbs, hands, feet, and then the rest of the body. But experts have identified a pattern in recent cases. Officials are seeing more cases where the rash starts on the thighs.
If you are infected with the virus, it has a very long incubation period and once it enters the body, it first affects the internal organs.
Symptoms include high fever, body aches, headache, and fatigue. As the body fights these symptoms, lymphadenopathy, or enlarged lymph nodes, appears after the initial symptoms.
These symptoms then progress to rashes on the hands, feet, face, mouth, or even thighs. These rashes turn into raised bumps or painful fluid-filled pustules.
Contact your doctor if you experience these symptoms, especially if you have recently traveled to areas in Central or West Africa or within Europe where multiple cases have been reported.
Does it spread?
Monkeypox can spread especially when an infected person is close to you. The virus affects you more quickly when your skin is broken, and it can enter the body through the respiratory tract or through the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Is there a cure for Monkeypox?
There is no specific treatment for Monkeypox, since both monkeypox and smallpox are very similar, vaccines and treatments developed against smallpox can be used for Monkeypox, smallpox vaccine provides 85% protection against Monkeypox. But it should be noted that there is no specific treatment for Monkeypox.
Is it fatal?
Monkeypox is usually not that dangerous because the rash is quite similar to chicken pox and clears up on its own within a few weeks. However, it can sometimes be severe and deaths have been reported in West Africa.
