Monkeypox cases confirmed in over 10 countries; check symptoms, everything else you need to know about this rare viral infection

Monkeypox is a rare virus that could be caught from infected wild animals in parts of the west and central Africa. It is believed to be spread by rodents.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.

The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (which causes smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox vaccine), and cowpox virus. (Representational image: Credits - Pixabay)

Initial symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion.

A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body. The rash changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off. (Representational image: Credits - Pixabay)

The monkeypox infection can be spread when someone is in close contact with an infected person.

The virus can enter the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or through the eyes, nose, or mouth. However, there is a very low risk of transmission to the general population, the UKHSA said. (Representational image: Credits - Pixabay)

The monkeypox virus is usually a mild self-limiting illness and does not spread easily among people. Most people are said to recover within a few weeks, but the severe illness can occur in some cases.

"It is important to emphasise that monkeypox does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the general public is very low," Dr Colin Brown, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at the UKHSA, said. (Representational image: Credits - Pixabay)

As per reports, monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, hence the name monkeypox.

The first human case of monkeypox was reportedly recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox. Since then, monkeypox has been reported in several other central and western African countries.

Outside Africa, cases have been detected in the US, UK, Israel, and Singapore. In the UK, the first-ever recorded occurrence of the monkeypox virus was in 2018, and since then a handful of cases have been confirmed by health authorities. 

(Representational image: Credits - Pixabay)