MONKEY POX

 In 1958, the monkeypox virus was found in Denmark in monkeys housed for scientific purposes. A nine-month-old child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was the first person to contract mpox (1970). After smallpox was eradicated in 1980 and smallpox vaccinations were stopped globally, mpox gradually spread throughout central, east, and west Africa. Since then, isolated cases of mpox have been documented in west Africa (clade II) and central and east Africa (clade I). The United States of America experienced an outbreak in 2003 that was connected to imported wild animals (clade II). Every year since 2005, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has received reports of thousands of cases. In Nigeria, mpox resurfaced in 2017 and is now spreading among individuals there as well as in travellers to other destinations.

Clade I outbreaks of mpox happened in Republic of the Sudan refugee camps in 2022.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there has also been a rise in mpox cases and fatalities since 2022. Clade Ib is a recent branch of clade I that has been spreading person to person in various parts of the nation. The clade has also been documented in other nations as of mid-2024.

Between January 2022 and August 2024, more than 120 nations reported cases of mpox; of those, over 100,000 had laboratory confirmation and over 220 resulted in deaths.

Treatment and vaccination

The following categories may have a higher risk of mpox:

persons who have numerous sexual partners, including males who have intercourse with men;
health and care workers at risk of exposure;
people living in the same home or nearby community as someone who has mpox, including children; and sex workers of any gender and their clients.

Self-care and prevention

The majority of mpox patients recover after 2-4 weeks. Actions to alleviate symptoms and stop mpox from spreading to others:

Act

See your doctor for guidance; try to avoid leaving your house and stay in a well-ventilated room; 

often wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser, especially before or after contacting sores;

 
until your rash cures, cover your lesions with a mask when you're among other people;

 
unless in a common room, keep skin dry and unprotected; refrain from handling objects in shared areas and regularly clean shared spaces;

For oral sores, use saltwater rinses; for body sores, take warm baths with baking soda or Epsom salts;

 and for pain relief, take over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen or paracetamol. 

Avoid

Shave the affected regions of the sores until the scabs have healed and you have new skin underneath (this can spread the rash to other parts of the body).

 Popping blisters or scratching sores can hinder healing, spread the rash to other parts of the body, and cause the sores to become infected. 

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of mpox often appear one week after exposure, although they can also appear one to twenty-one days later. Usually lasting two to four weeks, symptoms can linger longer in people with compromised immune systems.

Typical mpox symptoms include:

rash,

 fever,

 sore throat,

 headache,

 back pain, 

muscle aches,

 low energy,

 and swollen lymph nodes.

 
Some people get a rash as soon as they get the mpox, while others may experience fever, aches in their muscles, or sore throats first.

Overview

A painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscular ache, back pain, and low energy are all possible symptoms of the viral disease mpox. Most patients get better completely, while some get very ill.

The monkeypox virus is the cause of mpox (MPXV). It belongs to the Poxviridae family of viruses, which also contains vaccinia, cowpox, variola, and other viruses. It is an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus. The virus is divided into two separate clades: clade I, which includes subclades Ia and Ib, and clade II, which includes subclades IIa and IIb.

Clade IIb started a global outbreak in 2022 and is still going strong now, even in certain African nations. Furthermore, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other nations are experiencing an increase in clades Ia and Ib epidemics

in Africa Clade Ib has also been identified outside of Africa as of August 2024.

Although the virus's natural reservoir is unknown, a variety of tiny mammals, including monkeys and squirrels, are susceptible. 

Transmission

The primary way that mpox spreads from person to person is through close contact with an infected individual, especially a household member. In addition to mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact (like kissing), close contact also encompasses being face-to-face with an individual who has multiple personality disorder (mpox) (such as breathing or chatting near to one another, which can cause infectious respiratory particles).

Individuals who have had several sexual partners are more likely to develop mpox.

Additionally, mpox can spread through infected items like linens or clothing, needle injuries received in medical settings, or public places like tattoo parlours.

Pregnancy and childbirth can transmit the virus to the foetus. Pregnancy-related mpox infections can be harmful to the developing foetus 

or newborn infant and may result in difficulties for the parent or in the loss of the pregnancy, stillbirth, or newborn mortality.

The mpox virus can spread from infected animals to people through bites or scratches, as well as through tasks like cooking, skinning, trapping, playing with carcasses, and consuming animals. More research is being done to determine the monkeypox virus's animal reservoir.

The ways that mpox spreads during outbreaks in various contexts and circumstances require further investigation.