Signs and Symptoms of the Monkeypox Virus

Monkeypox is a rare virus belonging to the smallpox family. Although smallpox is eradicated with mass vaccination, monkeypox still stands as an issue to global health.

With the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring monkeypox issuing an alert of a public health emergency, people need to understand this disease better. Firsty, people should understand the symptoms of monkeypox to prevent infection. This blog has covered all the signs and symptoms to watch for.

Monkeypox can pass through your skin via cracks, mouth, eyes, and nose when in close contact with a monkeypox victim.

Early or initial symptoms of monkeypox are regular flu-like symptoms. The period from infection to initial signs or the incubation period is between 6 to 13 days. But in severe cases, it can vary from 5 to 21 days. There are two infection stages- one where initial symptoms appear and the other where skin eruption occurs.

Initial symptoms of monkeypox in humans are as follows:

• Fever
• Muscle ache
• Swelling of lymph nodes
• Chills
• Backache
• Headache
• Fatigue

After 1 to 3 days of fever, eruptions on the skin appear. They are flat, red bumps on the skin, which are more concentrated on the face. The bumps slowly turn to pus-filled blisters, which fall off once dry. The rashes can even spread to your genitalia, the cornea in your eyes, the face, hands, and feet.

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms. In the current epidemic, many cases have shown unusual patterns, with many displaying only some of the symptoms. The symptoms of monkeypox generally last for 2-4 weeks. In most cases, people get better without treatment.

However, more serious cases can happen to children below 8 years of age and immunocompromised individuals. Severe complications of monkeypox in humans can lead to the following issues:

• Bronchopneumonia
• Sepsis
• Encephalitis
• Loss of vision due to infection in the cornea

While 99% of those afflicted by the monkeypox virus recover on their own, in very rare cases, death may occur.

In 1958, two pox-like breakouts occurred in a troop of research monkeys. Thus, the name monkeypox. Though the source was unknown, researchers believed rodents were agents for virus outbreaks.

Two decades later, in 1970, the first human case of monkey virus came to light. Following this, 11 African countries reported subsequent victims of this rare virus. During 1996-97 the Democratic Republic of Congo recorded a monkeypox outbreak with a low fatality rate.

From 2017 to 2022, monkeypox continued to claim lives in and around African countries. The main mode of transmission has been international travel. Nearly 1200 cases of monkeypox were recorded in these regions of Africa as 2022 began.

Unfortunately, this number has grown exponentially in the next few months, spreading across many countries and continents. By the end of July 2022, the epidemic has spread to over 70 countries with 20,300 confirmed cases.

Earlier, people believed that monkeypox travelled from the scratches and fluids of infected animals to humans. Even consuming uncooked or semi-cooked meat is also a mode for transmission of monkeypox. Later, people with no travel history to these hotspots for monkeypox started to catch the virus.

Monkeypox transmits from one human to another by these following modes:

• Touching items like linen, utensils, and cloths of infected people
• Through an exchange of body fluids during coughing, sneezing, or sexual intercourse
• Direct touch with infectious rashes, scabs or pus from an infected person
• Pregnant women can spread monkeypox to their unborn child via the placenta

If you have been bit by an animal or were in contact with any monkeypox victim, you need to monitor for the signs and symptoms of the monkeypox disease. If any of these early symptoms start showing up, consult your doctor.

The symptoms of monkeypox start showing up 21 days after exposure to this virus. Monitor the following signs for timely treatment.

• Monitor new skin rashes that appear on the face, hands and feet.
• Look out for chills and cold shivers.
• Check your temperature daily.
• If you have only rash and cold shivers but no fever, isolate yourself in your house.
• In case of 100.4 or above fever, consult the health department in your area.

While monitoring yourself for signs of monkeypox during this period, make sure not to donate blood, semen, breast milk or organs.

On sharing details of your symptoms of monkeypox with a doctor, they might first suspect chickenpox or measles. If your lymph nodes are swollen, the chances for chickenpox and measles are ruled out.

Next, doctors will collect tissue samples from an open sore or injury to confirm that the signs lead to monkeypox. These samples are further sent for a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test to examine. The patient must also get a blood test done. This helps in giving a detailed idea of the patient’s immunity and ability to make antibodies.

While doctors send samples for PCR examination, the following details about the patient must be present:

• Date of onset of fever
• Date when rashes start
• Specimen collection date
• Current stage of the rash
• Patient’s age

There is no specific treatment for monkeypox yet. However, being a distant smallpox variant, similar drugs and vaccines for smallpox are being used to treat monkeypox.

For people severely affected by monkeypox, doctors may suggest antivirals like Tecovirimat. Research for specific medication to treat monkeypox and control its outbreak is still in progress.

The recent updates on the growing trends of monkeypox victims concern WHO. If you are looking for answers to stay safe from monkeypox infections, here is a list of precautions.

• Frequently wash your hands with soap and water.
• Maintain social distance from patients with monkeypox 
• Thoroughly clean and cook your food, especially meat and other non-veg items
• Avoid close contact with personal belongings like bed linens and clothes of monkeypox patients
• Keep a safe distance from infected or injured animals
• If you are taking care of a monkeypox patient, use a PPE suit
• Practice using condoms and dental dams to avoid transmission of the virus

You have to keep people showing monkeypox symptoms in a different room from a monkeypox patient

The World Health Organisation stated that in remote regions of Africa without medical facilities, 1% to 10% of people died of Monkeypox. Although, the current variant is not as fatal as its predecessor. However,  in the recent outbreak, the fatality ratio has been relatively lower at 3-6%

Thus, monkeypox is mostly a self-limiting sickness and is usually over in only a few weeks. The symptoms of monkeypox are only severe for some small children and people with very weak immunity. People who have immunisation against smallpox are mostly immune from this disease.

Previously, monkeypox was majorly concentrated in Central and Western African regions. The rise in tourism led to an increase in cases of monkeypox in humans.

Recent cases of monkeypox victims were seen in early May 2022 in the UK, Spain, and many other European countries. Following this, the USA and Canada too showed signs of monkeypox. Most victims here had recent travel history to the UK. In India, Kerala alone records the third case of monkeypox. At the same time, Delhi reported one new monkeypox case in July 2022 itself.

This alarming rise in monkeypox outbreaks across the globe has alarmed the World Health Organisation to take steps to avoid another pandemic. A study by WHO states that the monkeypox virus mostly spreads in humans by men having sex with other men (MSM).

The alarming rise in cases of monkeypox did compel many nations to track and enforce travel precautions for tourists. As individuals, we must take the monkeypox precautions seriously. We must keep in mind to avoid direct contact with monkeypox victims to break the chain. When encountering symptoms of monkeypox, you should isolate yourself and consult a doctor for timely medication.