About  

• Monkeypox, or mpox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. 
• According to the WHO, cases occur close to tropical rainforests inhabited by animals that carry the virus. 
• Monkeypox virus infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys.

Discovery and History

• Monkeypox virus was discovered in 1958, when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research. Despite being named “monkeypox” originally, the source of the disease remains unknown. Scientists suspect African rodents and non-human primates (like monkeys) might harbor the virus and infect people.
• The first human case of mpox was recorded in 1970, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Virus Types

• There are two types of Monkeypox virus

1) Clade I and 

2) Clade II.

• Clade I causes more severe illness and deaths. Some outbreaks have killed up to 10% of the infected people. Clade I is endemic to Central Africa.
• Clade II is the type that caused the global outbreak that began in 2022. Infections from clade II mpox are less severe. More than 99.9% of people survive. Clade II is endemic to West Africa.

Symptoms

• Monkeypox causes symptoms similar to smallpox, although they are less severe.  
• Mpox causes signs and symptoms which usually begin within a week but can start 1–21 days after exposure
• 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

• Monkeypox is a zoonosis, that is, a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans. Human-to-human transmission is limited in nature. 
• Mpox can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
• Transmission can be through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects. WHO confirmed the sexual transmission of Mpox in Congo for the first time in November 2023.

Treatment and Vaccination

• There is no safe, proven treatment for monkeypox yet. The WHO recommends supportive treatment depending on the symptoms.
• The goal of treating mpox is to take care of the rash, manage pain and prevent complications. Early and supportive care is important to help manage symptoms and avoid further problems.
• Getting an mpox vaccine can help prevent infection. The vaccine should be given within 4 days of contact with someone who has mpox (or within up to 14 days if there are no symptoms). 

What’s in the news?

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is struggling to contain its biggest Mpox outbreak. Scientists say a new form of the disease detected in a mining town might more easily spread among people.
• An analysis of patients hospitalised between October and January in Kamituga, eastern Congo, suggested recent genetic mutations in Mpox are the result of its continued transmission in humans.