WHAT IS MONKEY POX AND CAN IT BE PREVENTED?

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in the middle of this month that a new type of smallpox has broken out in parts of central Africa.

The highly contagious monkey pox disease has killed at least 450 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

So what are monkey pox and its symptoms?

This disease is a virus that results from smallpox but it is indicated that it is less serious

In the past, this disease was transmitted to humans from animals, but now it is different and it has been revealed that people themselves are now transmitting the disease.

Early symptoms of this disease include fever, swelling, headache, back pain, and muscle pain.

When a person has got better from the fever, it happens that rashes appear on the body, and this rash may start on the face and then spread to the rest of the body.

The palms of the hands and soles of the feet are among the most common places for rashes to appear, and the acne is described as painful and itching.

A pimple goes through many changes before it turns into a crust and eventually the skin will heal from the blisters.

The infection of this disease disappears on its own and the incubation period is 14 to 21 days but in some cases it can be the cause of death of people, especially vulnerable people such as young children.

Severe cases may experience aggressive lesions all over the body, especially the mouth, eyes, and genitals

In which countries is this disease now spreading?

This disease is common in remote villages in the tropical forests of West and Central Africa such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it has been observed for many years.

In these regions, there are thousands of cases and hundreds of people infected every year, with children under the age of 15 being the most affected.

There are a number of different diseases that occur simultaneously in most of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.

Recently, this disease has been seen in neighboring countries of Somalia, including Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.

This disease is divided into two types, clade 1 and clade 2, with type 1 being more serious.

The first strain of the disease, which has caused sporadic cases for a decade, is reportedly still spreading, with the risk of the disease being higher in children than in adults.

There are also serious concerns that many people who have already had the disease are experiencing new symptoms of the disease, which means that the risk is increasing.

Experts say there is more to learn about the disease, but it is likely that its risk will increase and it will spread more easily.

The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that there were more than 14,500 cases of monkey pox and more than 450 deaths between the beginning of 2024 and the end of July of the same year.

This represents a 160% increase in morbidity and a 19% increase in deaths compared to the previous 2023 data.

It has already been declared a state of emergency related to this disease in 2022

The cause of this situation is the second type of the disease, clade 2, which has spread to almost 100 countries where the virus is not normally seen before, including some countries in Europe and Asia, but the vaccine groups have greatly contributed to a successful prevention.

How is the disease spread?

Ways the disease spreads include sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing near an infected person

The virus can enter the body through broken skin, respiratory tract, eyes, nose and mouth

The disease can also be spread by touching objects contaminated with the virus such as bedding, clothes and towels

Close contact with infected animals such as monkeys is one of the ways in which Mpox virus is spread.

The current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is said to be caused by sexual contact and other forms of close contact.

Who carries the risk of disease?

Anyone who has close contact with people suffering from the disease can contract the virus, including health workers and family members

The reasons for the increase in cases of the disease are widely suspected to be sexual relations between adults infected with the virus

Health scientists are studying the condition to understand more about who is at risk the disease more easily.

Young children may be particularly vulnerable to the disease due to their still developing immune systems and widespread malnutrition in many parts of the region, which makes it a burden to prevent the disease

Health experts suggest that young children are at risk because of the way they play and interact with each other and are not vaccinated against the disease.

Pregnant women are also at greater risk of the disease as there is concern that people with weakened immune systems are susceptible to the disease.

Tips

The advice is to avoid close contact with anyone who has Mpox

Wash your hands with soap and water if the virus is present in your community

Infected people should be isolated from other people until the sores disappear.

Condoms should be used as a precaution when having sex

There is a vaccine for the disease but it is limited to areas of urgent need and not universally available.

There is a concern that there is no funding available for the vaccine to be delivered to the whole world in order to control the disease