It was in mid-May 2022 that the first case of "monkeypox" was reported in the US, to be precise in the state of Massachusetts. However, by August, the country declared a State of Emergency due to the virus that today has greatly decreased thanks to the vaccine against the disease.
Almost a year after this disease appeared in the American Union, it is important to know what it is, how it is acquired and what the treatment is, facts that prevent stigmatization and spread.
What is monkeypox?
Also known as monkeypox or mpox, it is a disease caused by a virus that produces symptoms similar to those of smallpox eradicated in 1980, but less severe.
It is a zoonotic viral infection, which means it can spread from animals to humans. It can also spread between humans and can also pass from the environment to humans.
The name monkeypox is attributed to the fact that in 1958 the virus was detected in apes in a laboratory. But rodents, such as Gambian dormouse or giant rats, are the animals most susceptible to contracting it and infecting humans.
How is it transmitted?
Monkeypox is transmitted by close sexual or physical contact with skin lesions and bodily fluids of the infected person.
In addition, it can be spread by close contact with objects contaminated with the virus or by close and prolonged contact with secretions from the respiratory tract of the sick person.
What are the symptoms?
According to Stanford Medicine, symptoms can begin anywhere from 5 to 21 days after being exposed to the virus, and include fever, severe fatigue, severe headache, swollen lymph nodes, lower back and muscle pain, chills, and rash, especially on the face, eyes, oral and oropharyngeal mucosa, chest, palms of the hands, genitals, anus, and soles of the feet.
If you develop symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately and isolate yourself until the rash clears up, or stay in a room away from people and pets.
If the person carrying the virus must take care of someone, they must cover the rashes, use a face mask and not share utensils.
Vaccines
In 2019, the FDA disclosed the JYNNEOS vaccine for the prevention of smallpox disease and monkeypox in adults 18 years of age and older who have been determined to be at high risk for infection with either of these two diseases.
The JYNNEOS and ACAM2000 vaccines are currently available, but vaccination is recommended only for people who have already been infected or are most at risk in the current outbreak, such as gay, bisexual, transgender, and other men who have sex with men. men, people who have multiple casual sexual partners, and healthcare workers at risk of exposure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of February 1, 2023, 80,777 cases have been reported worldwide, 30,123 of them in the United States. , resulting in 28 of them in death.
California, New York, Texas and Illinois are the states with the highest number of monkeypox cases, while globally, the United States tops the list, followed by Brazil, Spain, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
You may be interested in: Mental health: the imminent need to take care of our well-being
