Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in
tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa
and is occasionally exported to other regions.
What countries have monkeypox?
| Country Year Recorded Human Cases * | Central African Republic 2018 14 | Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 1971 1 | Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 1981 1 | Democratic Republic of Congo 1970-present >1000/year † |
|---|
Where is the monkeypox at?
Monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonosis with incidental human infections that usually occur sporadically in
forested parts of Central and West Africa
.
What country did monkeypox come from?
Monkeypox has also been found in certain rodents and other primates in Africa. The first known human infection was in 1970 in
the Democratic Republic of Congo
. On July 15, 2021, the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed a human case in a U.S. resident who traveled from Nigeria to Dallas.
How common is monkeypox?
Monkeypox can sometimes be more severe, however, with
one in 100 cases being deadly
, according to the CDC. Though rare, the disease has been discovered in the US before.
Can humans get monkey pox?
Health researchers have identified the viral infection in laboratory monkeys, African tree squirrels, mice, rats, and rabbits.
Monkeypox can spread to humans
.
Does monkey pox still exist?
Monkeypox is caused by a virus that is related to smallpox, the only human virus to have been eradicated. It causes less severe illness than smallpox, but is
still quite dangerous
. The CDC said that the fatality rate for the strain of monkeypox seen in the Dallas case is about 10%. Monkeypox is rarely seen in people.
Can monkeypox be cured?
At this time,
there are no specific treatments available for monkeypox infection
, but monkeypox outbreaks can be controlled. Smallpox vaccine, cidofovir, ST-246, and vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) can be used to control a monkeypox outbreak.
Who is at risk of monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a relatively uncommon disease. Risk factors include animal bites and scratches from infected animals (
mainly African rodents or monkeys
) or from other rodents (like prairie dogs) that have had contact with African animals infected with the virus.
What monkeypox looks like?
BBC News recently outlined the symptoms of monkeypox, detailing how symptoms will play out over a few days. The illness begins with a fever, headaches, swelling of different body parts, back pain and muscle aches, which sound similar to a normal cold. Then, the fever will stop and a rash will develop.
What animal causes monkeypox?
Various animal species have been identified as susceptible to monkeypox virus infection through laboratory experiments, outbreaks among captive animals and field investigations. This includes
rope squirrels
, tree squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, primates and other species.
Is monkey pox painful?
| Monkeypox | The rash of monkeypox | Specialty Infectious disease | Symptoms Fever, headache, muscle pains, blistering rash, swollen lymph nodes | Usual onset 5–21 days post exposure |
|---|
How do you avoid getting monkeypox?
- Avoid contact with animals that could harbor the virus (including animals that are sick or that have been found dead in areas where monkeypox occurs).
- Avoid contact with any materials, such as bedding, that has been in contact with a sick animal.
How does a person get monkeypox?
Transmission of monkeypox virus occurs
when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human, or materials contaminated with the virus
. The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth).
Does monkey pox leave scars?
The rash begins as maculopapular lesions of 2-5 mm in diameter and spreads in a centrifugal pattern. The skin lesions progress through papular, vesicular, pustular, and crust phases over a period of 14-21 days.
The lesions slough off and leave scars
.
What is the mortality rate of monkeypox?
Estimates of the case-fatality rate for monkeypox in Africa vary from
1% to 15%
, with the highest risk of death in young children. In one study of 300 patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the overall mortality rate was 10% and the mortality rate in unvaccinated children was 15-20%.
