publishedJul 24, 2022 at 6:35 am
What is monkeypox?Disease with mostly mild course
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency because of monkeypox. Here is an overview of the most important questions regarding the disease.
The disease is transmitted by droplets. After an infection, it usually takes several days for symptoms to appear.
via REUTERS
To date, almost 17,000 cases of the disease have been registered in 74 countries worldwide.
Twitter/@vanranstmarc
According to the latest information, almost 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 72 countries worldwide since the beginning of May. According to the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), 229 cases have been registered in Switzerland so far. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international health emergency on Saturday. An overview of the most important questions regarding the disease.
What is monkey pox?
Monkeypox is an infectious disease originally transmitted from animals to humans primarily by viruses. In Africa, monkeypox has been found in a wide variety of animals, most notably rodents and several species of monkeys. The virus can also be passed from person to person.
In 1970, monkeypox was first detected in humans in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo—a region where smallpox had been eradicated two years earlier. In the spring of 2003, the first cases outside of Africa were reported, in the United States. Since May they have also been spreading to other countries; especially in Western Europe, including Germany.
What symptoms can occur?
The symptoms are similar to those of smallpox. These include fever, headache and muscle pain, chills and swollen lymph nodes. Sometimes very painful skin changes develop in the form of spots and pustules, which crust and fall off over time.
The rash occurs mainly on the face, palms and soles of the feet. However, skin and mucous membrane changes in the mouth, genitals and eyes are also possible. The skin changes usually last between two and four weeks and heal on their own without treatment.
How is the disease transmitted?
Humans can contract the virus through contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of sick animals. Transmission from person to person is only possible with close contact. The virus is transmitted through droplet infection, wounds, the contents of the blisters and scabs on the skin or body fluids such as saliva. According to a study, 95 percent of current monkeypox cases are due to sexual contact.
The cases reported in Europe have almost exclusively involved men who have sexual contact with other men. Only a handful of cases in women are known. Pregnant women who have contracted monkeypox can pass the virus on to their unborn child. An infection of the baby is also possible at birth.
How dangerous is monkeypox?
Symptoms usually last two to four weeks. Infected people can infect others as long as they have symptoms. In contrast to human smallpox, which has been eradicated since 1980, monkeypox is usually much milder; most people recover within several weeks.
However, severe courses can also occur in some of those affected. In particular, newborns, children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with immune deficiencies can become seriously ill. Possible complications include skin infections, pneumonia, confusion, and eye infections that can lead to vision loss. The amount of viruses to which a patient has been exposed also plays a role in the course of the disease.
Is there a therapy or vaccination?
First and foremost, symptoms are treated. A drug developed to treat so-called orthopox was recently approved in the EU for monkeypox as well. The general smallpox vaccine has also been shown to be 85 percent effective once morest monkeypox. However, since the disease has been eradicated for over 40 years, there has been no vaccination once morest smallpox for a long time.
(AFP/chk)