MONKEYPOX VIRUS CONFIRMED IN 12 COUNTRIES (22/05/2022)

 

The World Health Organization has said another 50 suspected cases are being investigated - without naming any countries - and warned that more cases are likely to be reported.

Monkeypox is mostly found in West and Central Africa, but additional cases have been seen in Europe and other parts of the world in recent years. Those cases are typically linked to international travel or imported animals infected with the pox, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) said.

Belgium introduces quarantine for monkeypox cases.

Belgium has become the first country to introduce a compulsory 21-day quarantine for monkeypox patients after reporting four cases of the disease in the last week.

Belgian health authorities took the decision on Friday, according to Belgian media. Monkeypox contact cases are not required to self-isolate but should remain vigilant particularly if they are in contact with vulnerable people.

Monkeypox is a disease in the same family as smallpox and symptoms include a distinct bumpy rash, a fever, sore muscles, and a headache. Monkeypox is less deadly than smallpox, with a mortality rate below 4 percent, but experts are worried about the unusual spread of the disease beyond Africa where it usually circulates.

What are the initial symptoms of monkeypox?

There is an incubation period of some seven to 14 days, the CDC said. Initial symptoms are typically flu-like, such as fever, chills, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness, followed by swelling in the lymph nodes, which help the body fight infection and disease.

"A feature that distinguishes infection with monkeypox from that of smallpox is the development of swollen lymph nodes," the CDC said.

Next comes a widespread rash on the face and body, including inside the mouth and on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

The painful, raised poxes are pearly and fluid-filled, often surrounded by red circles. The lesions finally scab over and resolve over a period of two to three weeks, the CDC said.

"Treatment is generally supportive as there are no specific drugs available. However, a vaccine is available that can be given to prevent the development of disease," Jimmy Whitworth, professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said in a statement.

How is monkeypox spread?

Close contact with an infected individual is required for the spread of the monkeypox virus, experts say.

Infection can develop after exposure to "broken skin, mucous membranes, respiratory droplets, infected body fluids or even contact with contaminated linen.

When the lesions have healed, the scabs (which might carry the infectious virus) can be shed as dust, which could be inhaled

Where did monkeypox originate?

Monkeypox got its name in 1958 when "two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research," the CDC said. However, the main disease carrier of monkeypox is still unknown, although "African rodents are suspected to play a part in transmission. The first known case of monkeypox in people was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox. 

After 40 years with no reported cases, monkeypox reemerged in Nigeria in 2017, the CDC said. Since then, there have been more than 450 reported cases in Nigeria and at least eight known exported cases internationally.