Did you know that the term “monkeypox” is a misnomer?
That’s right.
Monkeys aren’t the natural hosts of the disease. The actual source is still unknown but smaller mammals like rodents may host the virus and transmit the disease to humans.
Monkeypox was so named because it was first discovered in colonies of monkeys kept for research in 1958, but the WHO is currently in the process of renaming it to something more suitable. Although, they’ve already renamed 2 variants of the virus.
Considering that the world is still in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of outbreaks of yet another disease contracted from animals isn’t particularly welcome news.
So, what’s the deal with Monkeypox?
First Things First
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the Monkeypox virus, a member of the orthopoxviruses family, the same family as the smallpox virus. Both viruses share similar characteristics but Monkeypox has much milder symptoms and isn’t as contagious.
The first case in humans happened in 1970 in a 9-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The disease is mostly endemic to some parts of Africa but was first isolated outside the continent in 2003 when an outbreak was reported in the United States of America from contact with pet prairie dogs that had been housed with Gambian pouched rats, imported from Ghana.
Since then, there have been several reported cases in non-African nations including Israel and the United Kingdom, mostly from travelers from endemic countries.
However, the most recent outbreak is the widest the disease has spread in non-endemic countries and was traced to a British resident who had traveled to Nigeria, where the disease is endemic.
Monkeypox virus has two variants: clade 1 (previously the Congo basin clade) and clade 2 (formerly the West African clade). Clade 2 is the less aggressive variant and is responsible for the current outbreak of the disease.
The virus usually spreads from infected animals to humans, but the recent outbreaks have been spread from humans to humans, which was previously thought to be quite rare.
About 98% of recorded cases in the most recent outbreak are among men who have sex with men (MSM), but there’s been a recent rise in the number of cases in non-MSM individuals.
Other ways it can spread aside from sexual contact include direct contact with body fluids and respiratory droplets of infected persons, also via close contacts such as hugging and kissing, and through sharing towels and beddings.
Monkeypox Symptoms and Treatment
Some people may not develop symptoms, but when symptoms do show up, they come about 5 to 21 days after exposure to the virus with Flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and weakness which may last for about 2 to 4 weeks.
About 1 to 4 days later, rashes begin forming on the skin, inside the eyes, nose, mouth, or anus. This is the infectious stage. The sores are usually itchy, pustular (containing pus), and typically dry up and fall off after a couple of days.
The disease can also cause severe pain, and in rare cases, people may develop life-threatening complications and scarring. People who may be at higher risk of severe complications include those with a weakened immune system, pregnant women, and children younger than 8.
There are no specific medications for treating monkeypox but people who are likely to get severely ill (such as people with weakened immune systems) or suffer life-threatening complications, may benefit from antiviral drugs like tecovirimat, brincidofovir, and cidofovir.
Also, the CDC has recommended two smallpox vaccines to be administered within 4 days of exposure to help prevent the monkeypox disease.
What You Should Know About The Vaccine
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved two smallpox vaccines for vaccination against Monkeypox. Here are some facts to know about them:
The vaccines, Jynneos and ACAM2000, are estimated to be 85% effective in preventing Monkeypox and are most effective if taken before or soon after you get exposed to the virus.
- Jynneos, aka Imvamune or Imvavex, is approved to help prevent Monkeypox in high-risk individuals. It is given in 2 shots and is the primary vaccine used in the recent Monkeypox outbreaks.
- ACAM2000 has also been approved for use in monkeypox. But it has more frequent side effects than Jynneos and isn't the primary vaccine used in managing the current cases of monkeypox.
- The vaccines are currently in short supply and aren't available to the general public. Only a limited number of people can get the shots if they meet certain criteria.
- The vaccine is available to anyone who has been in contact with someone who has monkeypox or anyone whose sexual partners were diagnosed with monkeypox in the past 2 weeks. It is also available to health workers and those who handle samples or animals with orthopoxvirus.
- Men who have sex with men can also get the vaccine if they've had sex with multiple partners, if they've had sex at commercial sex venues or if they've had sex at an event or area where monkeypox is prevalent.
- If you can't decide whether or not you need to take the vaccine, you can reach out to your local health department to see if you meet the criteria.
How To Keep Safe
Even if you don’t have access to the vaccine, there are a number of ways you can still keep safe from contracting the disease. Some of them include:
Avoid skin-to-skin contact with anyone who has a rash or scab that looks like Monkeypox. This includes kissing, hugging, cuddling, or engaging in sexual activities.
- Don’t touch objects that someone with Monkeypox has used. Including cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, and clothes.
- Wash your hands often using soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid animals that may be infected with the virus.
- Also, the director general of the WHO has advised men who have sex with men to limit their number of sexual partners temporarily to help curtail the spread of the virus.
Because studies are still being carried out on how well the vaccines can handle the current outbreak, authorities advise those who get the shots to still take steps in protecting themselves from infection.
Also, if you experience any likely symptoms of the disease, make sure to see your doctor or a healthcare professional.
DO WE HAVE THE NEXT GLOBAL PANDEMIC ON OUR HANDS?
Experts are torn between whether or not Monkeypox is the next pandemic we have to deal with, but most of them don’t seem to think so.
Some reasons why include:
It’s not a novel disease: unlike COVID, Monkeypox isn’t a new disease, it’s been around for a while and there are medications and vaccines already available to contain the spread of the disease.
- It’s a lot harder to spread than pandemic diseases like COVID: the monkeypox virus can indeed be spread through respiratory droplets, but it’s not airborne and doesn't spread easily in humans without close contact.
- Monkeypox isn’t as deadly as COVID. Of the 56,000+ cases discovered so far, there have been 17 deaths (one in the United States). And while this is a sad number, it is nowhere near the fatalities the world experienced at the height of most pandemics.
- Monkeypox is a serious disease, especially for those with weakened immune systems, but it definitely is not the next pandemic we have to face.
That being said, it is important to take every precaution to keep the disease at bay. If you find any likely symptoms, make sure to see your doctor or a healthcare professional.
New and emerging diseases continue to take the world by storm leaving scientists and experts with their hands full.
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