According to recent research, the smallpox vaccine has shown to be about 85% effective in treating smallpox.
Monkeypox, which belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox and chickenpox, is a rare disease that occurs primarily in remote parts of Central and West Africa, near tropical rain forests. While it is similar to human smallpox, eradicated in 1980, monkeypox infections in humans cause a milder illness and have a lower fatality rate. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates this fatality rate to be about 1–10 percent.
Transmission to humans from animals is thought to occur through close contact with infected animals’ blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions.
Monkeypox is usually transmitted to humans from animals through close contact with the blood, bodily fluids or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals. It can also be transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or bodily fluids. The most common animals that transmit monkeypox are monkeys, rodents like rats, squirrels and rabbits. However, other wild or domestic mammals may transmit monkeypox if sick.
There have been no reported cases of person-to-person transmission of monkeypox in the United States. Still, experts believe this could be possible if an ill person comes into close contact with another person’s respiratory secretions (for example, when coughing).
Person-to-person transmission can occur from direct contact with infected respiratory tract secretions, skin lesions of an infected person or objects recently contaminated by patient fluids or lesion materials.
Occasionally, monkeypox can spread from one person to another. This type of transmission happens very rarely and is called person-to-person transmission. Person-to-person transmission can occur from direct contact with infected respiratory tract secretions, skin lesions of an infected person or objects recently contaminated by patient fluids or lesion materials.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion.
The symptoms of monkeypox are the same as the symptoms of smallpox and include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and exhaustion
- Rash that typically starts on your face then spreads to other areas of your body. In some cases, it may cause pimples or blisters similar to chickenpox. The rash may also appear on your palms and soles of your feet (also called palms and soles). You may experience pain when you touch or rub this rash, but it isn’t typically severe. It can take about two weeks for all signs of the virus to disappear from your skin after you stop feeling sick with this disease; however, some people have had rashes that last up to three months before they clear up completely.
Be careful not to get bitten by animals in West and Central Africa.
It’s also important to note that monkeys are not the only animals that can carry monkeypox. If you’re in West or Central Africa, avoid contact with any animal you don’t know or aren’t acting normally. If you come into contact with an animal that appears sick, try to avoid touching it. Touching a dead animal can also put you at risk of catching monkeypox, so avoid handling dead animals.
If you see an animal scavenging through trash or eating food from the street, keep your distance from them as well; they may be carrying the virus without showing symptoms yet and pass it on to humans through their saliva or urine if they bite someone (or vice versa).
Conclusion
Monkeypox is a rare disease, but if you do get it, the symptoms are treatable, and there is no need to panic. However, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately to get the best care possible. If you are travelling to West Africa or Central Africa, make sure you take all the necessary precautions before leaving and arriving at your destination.
