Monkeypox
Date: 10 May 2022 Tags: MiscellaneousIssue
A case of monkeypox has been identified in the UK in a patient having travel history to Nigeria.
Background
Monkey pox disease is similar to smallpox. It is an orthopoxvirus, which is a genus of viruses that also includes the variola virus.
Details
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Monkeypox occurs in countries in Central and West Africa, even though small pox is eradicated globally.
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Two different strains include the West African and the Congo Basin, also known as the Central African clade.
Occurrence
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The disease was first identified in 1958 following two outbreaks of a pox-like disease in monkey colonies.
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The first case of human infection was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
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The disease is prevalent across countries such as DRC, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Transmission
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Monkeypox disease is transmitted from animal to human. The infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys.
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Human to human transmission is very rare. It does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the general public is very low.
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It spread through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.
Symptoms
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Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, muscle aches, back ache, and exhaustion. It causes swelling in lymph nodes.
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Incubation period is 7-14 days but can range from 5-21 days. Rash starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body.
Mortality and treatment
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Percentage of people dying from disease has varied between 0 and 11% in documented cases. It is higher among young children.
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There is no specific treatment. Supportive treatments have to be provided depending on the symptoms.