What You Should Know about the Monkeypox Symptoms and Its Transmission
MONKEYPOX SYMPTOMS – You can check here the signs that you should watch out about the Mpox and how a person can get infected.
Nowadays, a lot of people are alarmed by the growing cases of Monkeypox in other countries as well as the records of the confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the Philippines. It is high time to know more about this zoonotic disease.
The Monkeypox or also known as the Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus which is a specie of the genus Orthopoxvirus. As a zoonotic disease, it can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa. Furthermore, it is also transmissible among humans.
The Mpox does not come in a single variant — there are two (2) types of this virus such as the West African virus and the Congo Basin virus. This disease is existent since the 1970s and, based on an article on Healthline, it was mainly active in several parts of Africa.
Based on the article, the tropical, rural parts of central and western Africa have recorded cases of the zoonotic disease. Cases of this viral illness were recorded in the following:
- Benin
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Gabon
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Sierra Leone
- South Sudan
With regards to the Monkeypox symptoms, they are similar to the signs of th smallpox. Based on the article, they are mildr. It usually takes 6 to 13 days for the signs to appear. However, it may also range from 5 to 21 days.
The Monkeypox symptoms include the following health signs:
- fever, which is usually the first sign
- muscle aches
- headache
- fatigue
- back ache
- swollen lymph nodes, also known as lymphadenopathy
- chills
After the fever, the rash usually appears between 1 to 3 days later. The rash is usually present in the following areas of the body:
- face, which is the most common site
- soles of your feet
- palms of your hands
- mouth
- eyes, including the conjunctivae and cornea
However, it is important to know that the rash may also appear prior to the fever or other signs that are flu-like. In fact, based on the article, some people may not experience all the other Monkeypox symptoms except for the rash. The rash consists of lesions that develop in the following order:
- macules, or flat discolored lesions
- papules, or slightly raised lesions
- vesicles, or bumps with clear fluid
- pustules, or bumps with yellowish fluid
- scabs
Based on the article, after the lesions dry and scab over, they fall off. The Monkeypox symptoms may last between 2 to 4 weeks.
How the Monkeypox can be transmitted? Its transmission can be through the blood, bodily fluids, skin or mucous lesions, and respiratory droplets, for human-to-human contact.
However, it is important to note as well as that this zoonotic disease can also be transmitted through contact with objects and surfaces that contain the virus. A pregnant mother who is infected with Mpox may also be able to transmit it to the baby through the placenta.
Furthermore, based on the article, bites and scratches from animals with a mpox infection as well as eating the meat of an animal with an mpox infection can also get you infected with the disease.