Monkeypox virus is a viral disease that has so far been detected in 22 countries and territories, including the US, Europe and Australia. Symptoms of monkeypox virus, with the global number of cases exceeding 200, include widespread muscle aches, severe headache and abdominal pain. Monkeypox virus, which requires close and prolonged contact for transmission , has a low probability of infection.
What is Monkeypox Virus?
It is a viral disease known as Manki Pops in medicine and translated into Turkish as "monkeypox". It is spread through direct contact with animals such as squirrel monkeys, which are known to harbor the virus. It can also be transmitted through very close contact with an infected person. Monkeypox is a DNA virus, not an RNA virus like Covid-19. The importance of this is that DNA viruses mutate less often. Monkeypox virus is not a new disease. Infection with monkeypox virus in humans first appeared in 1970.
Since then, monkeypox has been a regular occurrence on the African continent in the form of rare cases. Monkeypox, which has been seen for years in West and Central Africa, where tropical rainforests are abundant and limited to this region, could rarely reach different parts of the world with the transmission caused by animals exported from the region. Recently, however, the disease has spread more than in the past and has been observed in different people from different regions. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the number of cases of monkeypox virus, which first appeared in the UK and then spread to many European countries and then to the Latin American region, has exceeded 200 people.
The Covid-19 pandemic in particular had devastating effects around the world. For this reason, monkeypox is considered as a possibility of a new virus outbreak. Although it has not yet spread at this point, it has started to be followed in detail.
What are the Symptoms of Monkeypox Virus?
Monkeypox disease; people can be infected from an animal infected with the virus or through another person with monkeypox infection. The symptoms of monkeypox are different from chickenpox and smallpox. This disease causes widespread rashes on the body and is reminiscent of chickenpox. This is why it is called the monkeypox virus.
As with any virus, monkeypox has an incubation period after contact with the infectious agent. In monkeypox virus, rashes are observed between 1-5 days from the onset of the first symptoms. The most common onset of symptoms is between days 1-13. The disease lasts an average of 3 weeks. Although the symptoms are similar to those of smallpox, which caused a major outbreak in the past, they are slightly different. The most basic symptoms include the following:
- High fever
- Head, back, neck and muscle pain
- Swelling of the lymph nodes
- Fatigue
- Chills and shivering
- Skin rashes (similar to chicken pox, appearing as small blisters filled with water)
The incubation period varies between 6 days, 7 days and 14 days. The disease lasts an average of 3 weeks. In the first 5-6 days; symptoms such as widespread muscle aches, severe headache, abdominal pain are observed. The difference from chickenpox and smallpox is that these people have enlarged lymph nodes. After the 5th and 6th day, there is shedding on the body. It is mostly seen on the face, legs and arms. When the symptoms start, the person should definitely enter the isolation process for an average of 15-21 days. The risk of death in monkeypox is as low as 3-6%.
Is Monkeypox Virus Contagious?
It makes lesions on the body, on the skin and the fluids in these lesions contain the virus. It is known that this fluid on the skin of patients can be transmitted to another person. It can also be transmitted through the mouth and nose. Transmission can occur by spreading to the lungs. The particles of the monkeypox virus are large and heavy, so it does not spread to large masses through inhalation. It is necessary to maintain a distance of approximately 1-1.5 meters and the rate of spread of this disease in close proximity is increasing.
Most of the cases reported so far have turned out to be homosexual. Subsequently, scientists have observed that the virus can be transmitted through sexual intercourse as well as through contact. Since close contact is established during sexual contact , it is highly likely to be transmitted in this way. Another difference of Covid-19 is the low probability of infection without symptoms. There is no drug treatment for this disease. In 1980, a complete cure for smallpox was found all over the world. For this reason, a treatment method was applied by smallpox vaccination until this year. But after 1980, smallpox vaccination was discontinued. People born after 1980 are not vaccinated against smallpox. Scientists say that people who are vaccinated against smallpox are 80-85% protected against monkeypox. People under 12 years of age and over 65 years of age, pregnant women and people with low immune systems need to be extra careful against this virus.