Monkeypox, also known as mpox, is a rare viral disease that usually affects monkeys, rats, or mice but can also occur in humans. Monkeypox is typically confined to Africa however recently its first case has been detected in Pakistan. This blog is being written to allay fear unnecessarily caused by this disease. Here, you will find the symptoms of monkeypox and their prevention and treatment tips. This blog is not a substitute for a licensed physician’s expert opinion and advice.
So what is Mpox or monkeypox and how can you tell if someone is infected? Let’s find out.
Monkeypox Symptoms
The following are some of the symptoms of this disease:
- Skin rash
- Fever
- Headache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Tiredness
- Chills
- Muscle aches and backache
These symptoms may begin to appear 5 – 21 days after getting exposed to the mpox virus. These symptoms can last from 2 to 4 weeks. This disease is communicable as long as the symptoms are present.
Monkeypox Skin Rash Stages (2 – 4 Weeks)
This is usually how the disease appears, progresses and disappears in humans:
- Fever
- 1 to 4 days after fever, a skin rash starts
- Rash usually appears on face, hands or feet and then spreads to other parts of the body
- Rash spots turn into blisters
- Blisters fill with pus
- Scab over
- Fall off
Monkeypox: How Does It Spread and Prevention Tips
As written earlier, it is a communicable disease, which means it can transfer from animal to animal, animal to human and human to human. However, once it is known how it spreads, it becomes easier to prevent it.
Human to human transfer of monkeypox can take place in the following circumstances:
- Direct or close contact with a person who has monkeypox symptoms like skin rash or coming in contact with his/her body fluids.
- Coming in direct or close contact with an infected person’s belongings like blankets, clothes and sheets, etc.
- Close exposure for more than 4 hours to the tiny droplets of saliva, mucus, and other bodily fluids that are expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person when they talk, cough, sneeze or breathe can cause this disease.
- Sexual contact with an infected person.
- An infected pregnant mother can spread the virus to a fetus.
Animal to human transfer of monkeypox can take place in the following circumstances:
- Infected animal bites or scratches.
- Eating the infected animal.
- Wearing the skin or using products made of an infected animal.
- Direct contact with an infected animal’s body fluids or rashes.
Prevention Tips
Once it is known how one can catch this disease, it becomes easier to know how to prevent catching it in the first place. Here are some of the prevention tips:
- Avoid coming in close contact with a person who seems to have monkeypox symptoms like rash, etc.
- Avoid handling the belongings of an infected person.
- If you think you have come into contact with an infected person, wash your hands with soap and water and get in touch with a medical practitioner.
- Avoid coming in contact with animals most prone to getting infected with mpox virus like monkeys, rats or mice. Since it is not known that other animals like dogs, cats, parrots and the rest carry this virus, therefore there may be no need to worry about your pet animals. A wide variety of pet animals are available on OLX Pakistan.
- Get vaccinated. Some smallpox vaccines may prevent monkeypox since monkeypox and smallpox are caused by related viruses. However, consult your doctor first.
- Isolate infected people from healthy people.
Monkeypox: Treatment Tips
There is no specific treatment for this disease. An infected person must be isolated at home in a separate room until the symptoms are gone. They must intake enough liquids. Doctors are likely to prescribe pain relieving medicines, in addition to antiviral drugs prescribed for smallpox.
Monkeypox: End Note
There may be no reason to unnecessarily worry about this disease. It is a rare condition that can be fatal, but only in rare cases. It can cause blindness and severe scars on the face and body but only if the disease is not treated in time and gets complicated. The virus does not spread easily in humans without close contact. However, if you see symptoms of this disease in yourself or your loved ones, contact your doctor at once.
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