MonkeyPox
What is Monkey Pox
- The disease mpox or monkeypox (formerly monkeypox) is caused by the monkeypox virus (commonly abbreviated as MPXV).
- It is an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family, which includes variola, cowpox, vaccinia and other viruses.
- The two genetic clades of the virus are clades I and II.
- The natural reservoir of the virus is unknown – various small mammals such as squirrels and monkeys are susceptible
Symptoms
- Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
Transmission
It spreads from contact with infected:
- persons, through touch, kissing, or sex
- animals, when hunting, skinning, or cooking them
- materials, such as contaminated sheets, clothes or needles
- pregnant persons, who may pass the virus on to their unborn baby.
Vaccines
- There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for Monkeypox infection.
- But the European Union has recommended a Small Pox Vaccine, Imvanex to treat monkeypox
Outbreak
- After 1970, mpox occurred sporadically in Central and East Africa (clade I) and West Africa (clade II).
- In 2003 an outbreak in the United States of America was linked to imported wild animals (clade II).
- Since 2005, thousands of suspected cases are reported in the DRC every year.
- In 2017, mpox re-emerged in Nigeria and continues to spread between people across the country and in travellers to other destinations.
- A global outbreak occurred in 2022–2023.
WHO Response
- The global outbreak of mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 23 of July 2022.
- WHO published a strategic preparedness and response plan for mpox and a suite of technical guidance documents.
Public health emergency of international concern
- The WHO defines PHEIC as an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease and potentially requires a coordinated international response.
- The WHO reserves the designation for only those diseases that need a coordinated international response to prevent them from potentially escalating into a pandemic.
- The definition implies that the situation is serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected and carries implications for public health beyond the affected country’s border.
- The alert has previously been issued for Ebola, H1N1 Swine Flu, Poliovirus, Covid-19 and Zika Virus.
Why in news
- WHO declares end to mpox public health emergency.
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