What is Monkeypox?

 Introduction

Photo Courtesy: Oladimeji Adebayo

In the past few months, cases of monkeypox have been increasing in Europe and United States. For instance, about two hundred cases of monkeypox disease have been reported in the United States and Europe. Some people might have heard about the disease before. However, in some parts of the world, 'monkey pox' is a new disease. So, what is monkeypox? This is an uncommon ailment. It is caused by the monkey virus, grouped under the family of proxviridae and orthopoxvirus genus. This genus also comprises the variola virus, responsible for smallpox infections. Other viruses in this genus encompass the cowpox virus and vaccinia virus (this virus is exploited in making a vaccine for smallpox).

The name of the disease (monkeypox) originated from a monkey. In 1958, pox-like epidemics occurred in a group of monkeys kept for scientific research, and that is how the disease was named monkeypox. The first monkeypox infection was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1970. During this time, people focused on eradicating smallpox in DRC. After this period, several cases of monkeypox have been reported in different regions in western and central African countries.

The cases of monkeypox outside Africa are associated with international travels. Furthermore, the imported animals are also related to cases of monkeypox outside African countries. scientists associate non-human primates and African rodents with the natural reservoir of monkeypox. However, this association has not been scientifically proved.

Monkey Pox Symptoms

Monkeypox is characterized by fatigue, body aches, and fever. The disease indicates similar symptoms to smallpox. Nonetheless, it is not severe as smallpox. The ailment leads to a rash on the skin that develops into red bumps. The first money pox symptoms appear flu-like. After the first symptoms, the disease does not indicate any sign for two weeks, suggesting the ailment has a long incubation period. It first affects internal body organs. After two weeks, the infected person experiences fever, body aches, and fatigue. Enlarged lymph nodes show that the body is fighting monkeypox symptoms. These signs occur on hands, mouth, genitals, and feet.

Spread of Monkey Pox

The disease spreads from one person to the next person through close contact. It is spread via respiratory droplets. For this reason, it needs close contact (prolonged face-face contact) for its transmission. In animals, the disease spreads through any injury to the skin.

Monkey Pox Diagnosis

The diagnosis for monkeypox encompasses rash illness, including medication-associated allergies, scabies, bacterial skin infections, syphilis, measles, and chickenpox. Furthermore, lymphadenopathy at the prodromal phase of ailment is the distinctive feature differentiating monkeypox from smallpox and chickenpox. Monkeypox diagnosis  commences with collecting the suspected sample and safely taking it to the laboratory for analysis. The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is the best diagnostic test for monkeypox because of its high accuracy and sensitivity. Typically, the samples for monkeypox are obtained from skin lesions and dry crusts.

Conclusion

Monkeypox is not a new disease. It is an ailment that been existed for a long time. Its recent cases in the United States and Europe might have been triggered by other factors such as conditions of other diseases related to monkeypox. For instance, the first case was discovered on 7th May 2022 by an individual who traveled from Nigeria to the United Kingdom. Furthermore, educating people about the risk factors of monkeypox is the appropriate prevention measure, and risk factors are the best approach for preventing its spread.