In a widely anticipated drive, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the rapidly spreading Monkeypox, a global health emergency.
The announcement is to make people alarmed about this critical illness and the aim is to make people realise a coordinated international response is needed. There would be a need for funding and global efforts to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments.
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a mild infection which comes from wild, fierce African animals. The disease was first detected in 1958 when two pox outbreaks occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for examination. At that time, this disease got termed “monkeypox”, reported by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monkeypox was first detected in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Symptoms of Monkeypox
The symptoms of this disease are pretty similar to smallpox symptoms. Aside from monkeys, other animals have also been detected with the same infection, such as squirrels, Gambian pouched rats and dormice. Tropical African rainforests are filled with animals prone to this disease. Fever, muscle pain, exhaustion, headache, and swollen lymph nodes are some of the symptoms in the infected people with monkeypox virus. However, the spread of monkeypox in different part of the world is creating havoc. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is reportedly facing a consistent increase in the number of cases.
Different Variants of Monkeypox
The two variants of monkeypox are The Congo strain and the West African strain. The Congo strain is more deadly has a mortality rate of 10%, than the West African strain which has a lower mortality rate of 1%.
How can humans get infected?
This disease can spread to humans if they get bitten by a monkeypox-infected animal or come in contact with its blood, body fluids or fur. Eating the meat of that infected animal without proper cooking can also lead to the spread of this infection.
The disease is also transmittable among human beings using the clothing, bedding or towels used by the infected person with rashes, skin blisters or scabs. The cough and sneeze droplets of monkeypox infected person is also contaminable. As reported by experts, the virus is also supposed to be sexually contagious. However, this virus is not so infectious among humans.
Is monkeypox a deadly disease?
As reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), in places with insufficient healthcare facilities, 1 in 10 infected people may die if they are prone to the virus. However, the maximum cases, patients recover within two to four weeks.
What is the Treatment for monkeypox virus?
No specific treatment has been discovered for the monkeypox virus. It is therapeutically advised for the patients to stay secluded in a hospital so that the disease does not spread and the symptoms are cured if they occur again. Smallpox vaccines are somehow effective in the US for monkeypox patients, which are 85%.
Potential Vaccine for Monkeypox
Imvanex has been approved in the EU since 2013 for the prevention of smallpox. EU approves this for Monkeypox as well.
It is considered a probable vaccine for monkeypox due to the similarity between the monkeypox virus and the smallpox virus.