Monkeypox outbreak: As total cases rise to 780, here are signs and symptoms to watch out for

Monkeypox is a rare virus that can be contracted from infected wild animals in western and central Africa. It is said to be spread by rodents.

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

Symptoms and signs of monkeypox include headache, skin rash, fever, body aches, chills, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion. It, notabbly, causes symptoms that are similar to smallpox but less severe.

The time between infection and the onset of symptoms, known as the incubation period, can range from five to 21 days.

The monkeypox virus can be transmitted to humans through close skin contact, air droplets, bodily fluids, and virus-contaminated objects.

The majority of recent cases of monkeypox in the United Kingdom and Canada have been reported among men who have sex with men who attend sexual health services at health clinics.

If you think you have been exposed to the monkeypox virus, you should immediately contact your doctor for further instructions. You should also keep an eye out for symptoms for 21 days after your initial exposure.

Also, check your temperature at least twice a day and isolate yourself at home for 24 hours if you have chills and swollen lymph nodes but no fever or rash.

A person should avoid contact with animals that may be infected with the virus (including animals that are sick or that have been found dead in areas where monkeypox occurs).

A person should also avoid coming into contact with any materials that have been in contact with a sick animal, such as bedding.

The illness due to the monkeypox disease usually clears up in two to four weeks. It can be fatal, especially in children who have been exposed to a large amount of the virus, as well as in people with other health problems or weakened immune systems.

Thousands of lesions can grow together and cause the loss of large sections of skin at once in some cases. Death is unusual, but it is possible.

There isn't a specific vaccine for monkeypox yet, but data shows that vaccines that were used to eradicate smallpox are up to 85% effective against it, as per the World Health Organisation. Several European countries have also started offering a vaccine for the same.

Although some monkeypox cases have been reported in gay and bisexual men, anyone who comes into close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk of contracting the virus.

As of June 2, 2022, 780 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox had been reported to or identified by WHO from 27 Member States spread across four WHO regions where the monkeypox virus is not endemic.

So far, the majority of reported cases have been presented through sexual health or other health services in primary or secondary health care facilities, and have primarily, but not exclusively, involved men who have sex with men.

In affected countries, the WHO is currently assisting the Member States with surveillance, preparedness, and outbreak response activities for the monkeypox virus.