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Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the family Poxviridae which includes the variola virus (which causes smallpox).
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, hence the name ‘monkeypox.’ The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox. Since then monkeypox has been reported in humans in other central and western African countries.
The disease is also classified into two types: the first type spreads in West Africa and is less virulent (than it is currently prevalent), and the infection fatality ratio is about 1%, while the second type is spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it kills 10% of those infected with it.
Monkeypox cases in people have occurred outside of Africa linked to international travel or imported animals, including cases in Europe, America, and East Asia.
Transmission of the Monkeypox virus occurs when a person comes into contact with the virus through an infected human, contaminated materials, or infected animal.
The incubation period for monkeypox is usually 14–7 days but can range from 21–5 days. The symptoms include:
Within 1 to 3 days after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body, including the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, the genitals, the mucous membranes, and the conjunctiva. The most prominent symptom of the disease is the presence of swollen lymph nodes before the rash appears.
Currently, there is no proven treatment for monkeypox virus infection. For the purpose of controlling a monkeypox outbreak in the United States, the smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) can be used.
