21 May 2022, 06:03 PM IST
The alert comes as monkey pox, which was found only in Africa, has spread to other parts of the world.
This 1997 image provided by the CDC during an investigation into an outbreak of monkeypox, which took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Thiruvananthapuram: Health Minister Veena George has directed the districts to be vigilant in the event of monkeypox (monkeypox) being confirmed in the United States following reports in Europe. The health department has called a special meeting and taken precautionary measures. The alert comes as monkey pox, which was found only in Africa, has spread to other parts of the world. The Minister said that everyone should be aware of this disease and preventive measures.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a virus that is transmitted from animals to humans. Although mild, the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of smallpox, an orthopedic virus that was declared extinct worldwide in the 1980s. The disease is mainly found in central and western Africa. The disease was first confirmed in monkeys in 1958. Monkey pox was first reported in humans in 1970 in a 9-year-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Infection
The disease can be transmitted from animal to human through direct contact with the blood and body fluids of infected animals. Evidence of monkeypox virus infection has been found in many animals, including rats, mice, and various species of monkeys. People living in or near the forest are at risk of contracting the disease if they come in contact with infected animals.
The disease is transmitted from person to person through close contact with the respiratory secretions of an infected person. The monkeypox virus is transmitted from person to person through close contact with objects, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and bed-like objects.
The placenta can be transmitted from mother to baby during or after birth, as well as through close contact with the baby. With the discontinuation of smallpox vaccination worldwide, the general immunization against smallpox in the general population may also lead to a decline in immunity to monkeypox.
Symptoms
The incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days. But sometimes it can take 5 to 21 days. Symptoms usually last for 2 to 4 weeks. Mortality rates are generally low.
Early symptoms include fever, severe headache, edema, lower back pain, muscle aches, and loss of energy. Within 13 days of the onset of fever, blisters begin to appear on the body. Most blisters are found on the face and limbs. They are also found on the palms, genitals, conjunctiva and cornea.
The severity of the disease depends on the patient’s health status, immunity, and complications of the disease. The disease is most commonly seen in children. Complications of this disease include infections, bronchial pneumonia, sepsis, encephalitis, and corneal infections and subsequent vision loss. The extent to which asymptomatic infections can occur is unknown.
Special treatment is not available as it is a viral disease. Symptomatic treatment is essential to alleviate the symptoms, manage the complications of the disease, and prevent long-term side effects. Vaccination is available.
Defense
Avoid unsafe contact with wildlife during illness and handling of their carcasses. Contact with their flesh, blood and other parts should also be avoided. In addition it is important to make sure that the animal meat is well cooked before eating.
The most important cause of viral infections is close contact with infected humans. Health professionals caring for patients who are suspected or confirmed to be infected with the virus and those who handle the secretions of infected people must take the usual infection control precautions to prevent transmission.
Content Highlights: what is monkeypox as everything you need to know about this disease
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