What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus that has symptoms same as the Smallpox virus but less severe. There are two distinct clade of this virus identified: The West African clade and the Congo clade, also known as the Central African Clade. It is a Zoonosis, which means that the virus is transmitted from an animal to a human being. Thus, this virus is usually found in areas where Tropical Rain Forests are near because of the animals that live there. Evidence of this virus has been found in animals including squirrels, Gambian Poached Rats, Dormice, different kinds of monkeys and other animals.
According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 16 countries have confirmed cases of monkeypox. It includes the United States, Canada, Australia, Israel and 12 European countries. The United Kingdom has increased its number of cases to 71.
Human-to-human transmission is limited, but it can still be transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or internal mucosal surfaces such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.
The incubation period is from 7 to 14 days, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. Initial symptoms are typically flu-like, which includes fever, chills, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness, followed by the swelling of lymph nodes, which help the body fight infection and diseases. Antiviral drugs and smallpox vaccines can help relieve the symptoms of monkeypox.
There may be a surge of these virus, but we dont need to panick because there are already vaccines made to cure these viruses. Scientists said that this virus is not like the COVID-19 virus that can cause a pandemic
Sources:
https://www.who.int/news-room/
https://www.healio.com/news/
https://www.cnnphilippines.