Recently the World Health Organisation declared Global Health Emergency and sounded the highest alarm on the Monkeypox virus. More than 16,000 cases of the virus that was once largely confined to Africa have been reported so far this year 2022.
History of Monkeypox
- Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 in colonies of monkeys kept for research. Despite being named”Monkeypox” the real source of the disease remains unknown. However African rodents might be the source of the virus.
- Human monkeypox was first identified in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a nine-month-old boy from the region where smallpox had been eliminated in 1968. Most of the cases have been reported from rural and rainforest regions of the Congo.
- Since 1970, human cases of monkeypox have been reported in 11 African countries. In 1996-97, an outbreak was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo with a lower ratio of fatality.
- In 2003, the first monkeypox outbreak outside Africa was in the United States of America and was linked to contact with infected pet dogs. In this outbreak over 70 cases have been reported.
- In 2017, a large outbreak have been reported in Nigeria with over 500 suspected cases and over 200 confirmed cases with a fatality ratio of 3 percent.
- In May 2022 multiple cases of monkeypox were identified in several non-endemic countries. Studies are currently underway to further understand the epidemiology, source of infection, and transmission patterns.
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Mode of Transmission
- It is mostly transmitted to humans from wild animals such as rodents and primates. n Africa, evidence of monkeypox virus infection has been found in many animals including rope squirrels, tree squirrels, and different species of monkeys.
- Animal-to-human transmission can occur from direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, etc.
- Human-to-human transmission is also reported in different cases. Human-to-human transmission can result from close contact with respiratory secretions or skin lesions of an infected person.
- Transmission can also occur via the placenta from the mother to foetus or during close contact during and after birth. Close physical contact is a well-known risk factor for transmission.
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Symptoms
The invasion period is characterized by fever, intense headache, back pain, muscle ache, and intense asthenia. The skin eruption begins within 1-3 days of the appearance of fever. The rash tends to be more concentrated on the face. It affects the face, palms of hands, and soles of the feet. The appearance of lesions may vary from a few to thousands.
Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Underlying immune deficiencies may lead to worse outcomes. The probability of infection is higher among young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3-6 percent.
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Prevention
- There is no safe and proven treatment for monkeypox but WHO recommends supportive treatment depending on the symptoms.
- Raising awareness of risk factors and educating people about the measures they can take to reduce exposure to the virus is the main prevention strategy for monkeypox.
- Vaccination against smallpox was demonstrated through several observational studies to be about 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.
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The first case in India was reported in Kerala by a 35-year-old male who reached the state capital from UAE. The National Institute of Virology, Pune confirmed the disease of monkeypox. State Health Minister Veena George informed the media about the possible suspected case of monkeypox.
