Amid the coronavirus pandemic, UK has reported at least two cases of a rare viral infection called Monkeypox. According to public health officials, the initial case was acquired overseas and both the cases were identified in two people from the same household.
For the follow-up study, the close contacts of two cases are investigated and both people have been admitted to a hospital in England.
What is Monkeypox
Monkeypox is a zoonosis, which means it can be transmitted from animals to humans. According to World Health Organization, the Monkeypox virus is a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox. It occurs sporadically in forested parts of Central and West Africa.
The viral infection can be transmitted by contact and droplet exposure. The incubation period for the infection is usually from 6 to 13 days but can also range from 5 to 12 days.
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Symptoms
The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. These symptoms can start to show between 5 to 21 days after contracting the infection.
The symptoms of monkeypox can be mild or severe. The lesions can be very itchy and painful’ Also, the milder case of the infection can go unreported and may represent a risk of person-to-person transmission.
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How serious is it
In most cases, the patients recover within a few weeks. They do not need treatment, however, it can still cause severe illness in some people
There are two clades of the virus, the West African clade which can lead to severe illness in some individuals, and the Congo Basin clade. The fatality ratio in West African clade is reported to be 1% whereas in Congo Basin clade it can be 10%.
Cure
A vaccine for monkeypox has been approved in 2019. However, the traditional smallpox vaccine provides cross-protection for monkeypox. These vaccines are not available widely.