Monkeypox: Symptoms, Treatment And Facts
We're still reeling from the havoc of COVID virus and now there's another to fight with. This time, it's MONKEYPOX!!
Monkeypox, a rare viral infection causing lesions similar to smallpox all over the body, raised the alarm after an unusual outbreak in Europe.
The world is facing a new medical challenge and cases are popping up sporadically around the world. Should we worry? Let’s be clear:
What is Monkeypox?
The monkeypox virus, a viral zoonotic disease, belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus. It is spreading from infected animals to humans. It can also spread from person to person.
The disease is called monkeypox because it was first found in the colonies of monkeys in 1958 and later detected in humans in 1970.
Symptoms of Monkeypox
Monkeypox causes pustules all over the body. The symptoms of monkeypox appear between 5 and 13 days after infection. It may take up to 21 days for it to appear.
Early symptoms include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Back pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills and Exhaustion
Once the fever breaks, a rash appears on the face and spreads throughout the body, most commonly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Lesions might be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, crusted, dried up, and fall off. A person can have a few to thousands of lesions. They can also appear on the mouth, eyes, and genitals.
Contact the doctor if you think you have symptoms that could be caused by monkeypox. Inform them if you have had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with monkeypox.
Monkeypox Treatment
Monkeypox symptoms can go away without any treatment. However, the smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) can be recommended for controlling a monkeypox outbreak. Here are some precautions to prevent the infection with monkey viruses:
- Avoid contact with infected animals
- Isolate infected patients.
- Let the rashes dry or cover it with a moist dressing.
- Avoid touching sores
- Use cortisone-free mouth rinse and eye drops.
- When treating a patient, health workers should wear personal protection equipment (PPE).
Some Facts About Monkeypox:
- Monkeypox is similar to smallpox and its vaccination has previously been found to be 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.
- Symptoms can go away on their own, but in some cases, monkeypox can lead to medical complications and even death.
- The virus can spread between humans through bodily fluids, sexual contact, and respiratory droplets.
- Children are more prone to have severe symptoms than adults.
- The symptoms are most likely to appear after the end of the incubation period (6 to 13 days to 5 to 21 days).
- With a fatality rate of 1-10% people is able to fully recover in 2-4 weeks.
- The virus can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to the foetus, or from an infected parent to a baby during or after delivery by skin-to-skin contact.
- Clothing, beds, towels, or any objects that have come into contact with an infected person can also infect others.
The only way to prevent the infection is by dissipating information and being well-prepared in advance.
However, the severity is usually milder than smallpox and the rate of contraction is also low. Better stay calm and look for the latest updates from reliable sources!
