The initial monkeypox symptoms are similar to those of a cold. Learn more about monkeypox!

Monkeypox is a natural focal disease caused by monkey variola virus . It occurs in monkeys in the rain forests of central and western Africa. It can also infect other animals and occasionally humans. The clinical manifestations are similar to smallpox. , but the condition is mild. Human monkeypox, also known as Yaba monkey virus disease, is an infectious disease similar to smallpox caused by Yaba monkey virus. It is one of the rare infectious diseases that occurs in the tropical forests of Africa and does not spread from person to person . When a person is bitten or scratched by monkeys and other animals, after an incubation period of 5 to 7 days, small nodules will appear locally, gradually enlarging to 2cm, and can heal on their own in 3 to 4 weeks. In this article we explain monkeypox symptoms and what is monkeypox

The virus can be transmitted from animals to humans through direct close contact and can also be spread from person to person. The routes of infection mainly include blood and body fluids. However, monkeypox is far less contagious than the smallpox virus.

Monkeypox epidemic

The 2022 monkeypox epidemic was first discovered in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2022 local time. On May 20, local time, with more than 100 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox in Europe, the World Health Organization confirmed that it had convened an emergency meeting on monkeypox.

monkeypox symptoms

Patients with fever or rash must truthfully inform the treating doctor whether they have any history of epidemiological contact!

The following content is all from the official website of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention:　

After infection with monkeypox virus, the incubation period is 5-21 days, usually 6-13 days.

Symptoms such as fever, headache, back pain, myalgia, and swollen lymph nodes may appear in the early stages of the disease.

Rashes and mucosal rashes usually appear after the fever has subsided and in some cases may appear before systemic symptoms. The occurrence of rash often goes through several stages: macules, papules, blisters, pustules, scabs, and scabs falling off. Different forms of rashes can coexist at the same time, and can be accompanied by obvious itching and pain. It can involve the oral and throat mucosa, anus, genitals, conjunctiva and cornea.

　　The course of monkeypox is about 2-4 weeks, and the course may be longer in patients with low immunity.

Monkeypox is a self-limiting disease. In most cases, symptoms will disappear on their own. Severe disease and death can also occur, mainly in children, pregnant women and people with low immunity.

Cause

(1) Causes of disease

Monkeypox virus was first isolate (in 1958) from monkeys in a laboratory in Copenhagen, Denmark , and was call Copenhagen monkeypox virus at the time . Later, other animals in Africa, such as squirrels, rats, mice, rabbits, Porcupines and pangolins may also be hosts for the virus . Monkeypox virus and smallpox virus belong to the genus Orthopoxvirus . Monkeypox virus infection in monkeys and humans is difficult to distinguish from smallpox in terms of clinical symptoms and histopathology. This Monkeypox virus and smallpox virus share a common antigen, and there is strong serum cross-reaction and cross-immunity between the two.

Therefore, when monkeypox is prevalent, cowpox vaccination can be use to prevent it. Monkeypox virus is rectangular in shape, with a size of 200nm × 250nm. It can be culture and grown in African green monkey kidney cells, causing cell lesions. Plaques can be produce in monolayer cultures of chicken embryo fibroblasts. Small pox lesions similar to those cause by variola virus are produce on the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos. Inoculation of rabbits with monkeypox virus only produced skin lesions and keratitis, whereas intracerebral inoculation of monkeypox virus in mice produced encephalitis.

(2) Pathogenesis

Humans are infect with monkeypox, mainly through bites from infected animals, or direct contact with the blood, body fluids, or monkeypox lesions of infected animals; it is usually transmit from animals to humans, and occasionally from humans to monkeys. Spread of pox. It is generally believe that it is transmit through large amounts of toxic respiratory droplets during direct, long-term face-to-face contact. In addition, monkeypox can also be spread through direct contact with the body fluids of an infect person. Or virus-contaminate items, such as clothing and bedding. However, monkeypox is far less contagious than smallpox, so human-to-human transmission is uncommon.

The initial symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of a cold, including fever, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, fatigue, chills, runny nose, etc.

How to prevent it?

1. Implement quarantine for imported animals, and strengthen health and epidemic prevention management for pets; if sick animals are, kill them immediately and burn their carcasses.

2. The use of smallpox vaccine to prevent monkeypox in humans is approximately 85% effective. People who come into contact or are likely to come into contact with people or animals that have monkeypox should be vaccinate against smallpox. However, due to the potential risks of smallpox vaccination, the scope of vaccination should not be expand blindly.

How to treat it?

(1) Treatment

There is currently no effective treatment. The principle of treatment is to isolate the patient and prevent and treat secondary infections of skin lesions.

(2) Prognosis

Monkeypox is a self-limiting disease, and most patients recover on their own within 2 to 6 weeks. Some patients are seriously ill and die from collapse and failure. The case fatality rate is estimate to be 1% to 10%, which is less lethal than smallpox (smallpox case fatality rate is 30%).