Monkeypox: Treatment, Diagnosis and Prevention

Just when the world came to terms with the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, an outbreak of monkeypox became a matter of great concern for many countries. This is a zoonotic disease that used to happen only in Africa. However, with international travel becoming common in today’s globalised world, regional or localised viruses like the monkeypox virus have begun affecting people all over the world.

Now that this disease has become a global health emergency, people will need to know how to monitor, prevent and get treatment for this disease. Read this blog to learn about monkeypox treatment and other related details.

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How Did the Monkeypox Virus Spread Around the World?

In 1958, scientists in Copenhagen discovered the outbreak of a pox-like disease in a colony of monkeys that they kept for observation. They named this disease monkeypox. Medical practitioners detected this disease for the first time in humans in 1970. The patient was a small boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Initially, researchers considered this disease to be endemic to Africa. This is because monkeypox used to occur primarily in people who lived near tropical rainforests in central and western Africa. Though a few cases occurred outside the continent, these were isolated cases.

With international travel becoming more common, diseases like the monkey virus can evolve and spread around the world. In 2022, many countries worldwide, including the USA, UK and countries in Europe and Asia, have reported monkeypox cases. As of July 2022, over 16,000 cases have been detected in over 70 countries.

What Are the Symptoms of the Monkeypox Disease?

After exposure to the monkeypox virus, it can take anywhere from 5 to 21 days before a person displays any symptoms. Gradually, the patient will display the following symptoms:

Fever
Muscle-ache
Head-ache
Chills
Fatigue
Swollen lymph nodes

In 1-3 days after the onset of initial symptoms, the patient will develop flat red bump-like rashes, which will slowly turn into blisters. Patients may develop sores even in their mouth, vagina or anus. Though these will dry up and fall off within 2 weeks to 4 weeks, the entire process will be painful.

However, many patients are not showing all of these symptoms in the current outbreak. So, anyone who shows some signs of this infection may want to consult a doctor for monkeypox treatment.

How Is Monkeypox Diagnosed?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that the diagnosis of monkeypox is difficult because the symptoms are similar to other diseases like chickenpox, smallpox and measles. The distinguishing feature of monkeypox happens to be swollen lymph nodes.

Generally, the doctor will collect tissue samples from the patient’s lesion or open sore. After sample collection is complete, they send it to the laboratory for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing or genetic fingerprinting. The specimens need to be stored in a dry and sterile tube and packaged as per national requirements.

Doctors also collect patients’ blood samples to detect the presence of the monkeypox virus and its antibodies. PCR tests can be inconclusive due to the short duration of the virus. Thus, it is necessary for testers to get patient information, including his/her health status, date of rash and date of start of fever.

How to Treat Monkeypox?

As of now, researchers have not yet come up with a definite answer to how to treat monkeypox. These treatments mainly aim to alleviate symptoms and manage long-term complications of the patient. Doctors are mostly recommending that patients increase their food and fluid intake. They are treating only secondary infections.

Monkeypox and smallpox viruses belong to the same family of viruses—Orthopoxvirus. Therefore, many medical researchers have recommended using smallpox treatment procedures and vaccines for monkeypox treatment. They are using antivirals like Tecovirimat (TPOXX) for patients who are severely ill from monkeypox.

The CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) is minutely studying the role of smallpox vaccines on people who have been exposed to the monkeypox virus. Furthermore, they are assessing whether the antiviral drug called Cidofovir can be used for therapeutic purposes.

Self-Care Tips for Those Afflicted with Monkeypox

Enumerated below are certain tips that you can follow if you are suffering from monkeypox:

Drink lots of fluids.
Make sure to stay at home and take adequate rest.
Isolate yourself from others until all the rashes have subsided.
Soak in warm water with colloidal oatmeal to get some relief from the dry and itchy feeling.
Use bandages or gauze to cover the lesions as this will limit their spread into the environment.
Make sure you avoid all contact with pets, especially rodents.
Consume medicines prescribed by your doctor.

Preventative Measures for Monkeypox

A decrease in human contact with infected people and animals effectively limits the spread of the monkeypox virus. Given below are important preventative measures that people can follow:

It is a good idea to avoid contact with infected people and things used by them like clothing and bedding.
One must avoid contact with infected animals.
Regularly cleaning and disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces help in reducing the spread of this virus.
One should thoroughly cook every food item before consumption.
Avoiding food products made from wild games is a good idea.
One should practice safe sex and use condoms and dental dams.
Wearing a mask or covering the mouth or nose while in a crowd protects a person from a lot of diseases.
If someone has to care for an infected person, the former must wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
One should avoid sharing utensils, mugs and cups with anyone.
Washing hands frequently with soap and water and using hand sanitiser is a good practice.
It is a good idea to avoid touching things like bedding or other materials contaminated by infected animals.
One should also avoid physical contact like hugging, kissing or any form of touching.
Wearing proper protective equipment before going to work with animals is recommended.
People should avoid touching live or dead animals.
They should also avoid consuming food items prepared from wild animals.

This blog has enumerated important details related to monkeypox treatment. The outbreak of this disease in 2022 has become a cause of concern. However, if you avoid skin-to-skin contact with infected people and abide by all the preventative measures, there is no reason for worry.

All the above information was procured from various news and articles. As this is a rapidly developing situation, it is important to note that the information may change with time. If you feel that you have been exposed to the virus or display symptoms of this disease, you must consult a doctor or healthcare provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the difference between chickenpox and monkeypox?

Different viruses cause these two diseases. While orthopoxvirus causes monkeypox, it is the herpes virus that results in chickenpox. People can contract both these diseases through skin-to-skin contact. Researchers have stated that chickenpox is more contagious than monkeypox.

How does monkeypox spread?

Monkeypox spreads through prolonged physical contact with an infected person. If an individual comes in contact with infectious rashes, respiratory secretions, scabs and body fluids of the patient, he or she will catch the virus. One can also get monkeypox from infected animals and contaminated objects.