Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Discovery
3. Host
4. Transmission
5. Path taken
7. Symptoms
8. Progression
9. Duration
10. Fatality Rate
12. Treatment
Introduction
Monkeypox is a rare, self-limiting disease caused by an
infection with the orthopox virus of the family, poxviridae. Also included in
this family is the smallpox and cowpox viruses. The monkeypox virus has
attracted attention and awareness of late due to its outbreak in areas in which
it normally was not seen. It's incursion into Europe, The United States and
other countries outside of Africa have put health bodies on high alert.
Discovery
-First discovered in
1958 in monkeys
-First detected in humans in 1970 in the democratic republic of
Congo, and since then has been reported
in countries across Central and west Africa, and now spreading across other
Continents, aided by international travel.
Host
The natural host of
the monkeypox virus is unknown,but rodents like squirrels, rats and non- human
primates like monkeys are known to transmit the virus to people.
Transmission
Types -
·
Animal to human - through bites and scratches
·
Human to human - through respiratory droplets
Path
Taken
·
Through the respiratory tract
·
Through the mucus membrane of the eye, nose and mouth.
·
Through broken skin like, scratches
·
Through body fluids
Incubation
Period
This is the period
between infection and appearance of symptoms. It
can stretch from 5 –
21 days, but usually, is between 7 – 14 days.
Symptoms
These include
·
Fever
·
Muscle ache
·
Back ache
·
Chills
·
Headache
·
Tiredness
·
Swollen lymph nodes
Progression
After the fever, a
rash develops about three (3) days later, starting
from the head and
spreading to other parts of the body. The rash
progresses to-
·
Macules – flat lesions that are generally less than 1 cm in size
·
Papules – elevated areas of skin and can be in various shapes
·
Vesicles or Blister- small thin walled sac of skin, filled with
clear fluid
·
Pustule- areas of skin containing a yellowish fluid, known as
pus
·
Scab – a hard skin tissue that protects the skin when damaged,
and allows new skin to grow underneath.
Duration
The disease usually lasts between 2 and 4
weeks
Fatality
Rate
The fatality rate is
usually low when adequate health care is provided,
Usually 1 in 10.
Prevention
·
Avoid travelling to endemic areas or areas of outbreak
·
Avoid contact with unquarantined animals, especially rodents
from endemic areas.
·
Vaccination – The smallpox vaccine (JYNNEOS- Imvamune or
Imvanex).
Treatment
There is no specific
treatment for now. However, many antiviral drugs
might be effective, such as, Brincidofovir, Cidofovir and others.
