Monkeypox

Monkeypox is a disease caused by monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus and belongs to the same virus family as smallpox virus.

1. Monkeypox transmission route

The virus enters the body by invading the body's mucous membranes or through tiny breaks in the skin, thereby initiating the infectious process. The route of human infection with monkeypox virus is mainly related to direct contact, which includes direct contact with the lesions, blood or body fluids of infected animals, and bites or scratches from animals. Among people, the virus is mainly spread through close physical contact. At the same time, within a short distance, droplets with larger particles may also become the medium of transmission. In addition, there is also the possibility of infection through contact with surfaces contaminated by the virus, such as personal clothing or bedding. The virus also has the ability to be vertically transmitted from mother to fetus through the placenta. It is worth noting that sexual transmission has been confirmed as a transmission route, especially in intimate behaviors involving direct skin or mucous membrane contact, where the risk of virus transmission is significantly increased.

2. What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

Monkeypox virus infection exhibits clinical manifestations similar to those of the extinct smallpox disease, with an incubation period usually ranging from 7 to 14 days. In the early stages of infection, patients will face a range of systemic symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, significant physical exhaustion and sore throat. Immediately afterwards, a characteristic clinical sign—a rash—begins to emerge, which may appear initially as tiny red dots and then rapidly evolve into clear fluid-filled vesicles known as acne blisters. These blisters will go through a complete process of filling, bursting, and finally hardening and scabbing within a cycle of approximately two weeks. Throughout the course of a monkeypox infection, patients may experience additional symptoms including swollen lymph nodes, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Especially the swelling of lymph nodes, this feature is particularly prominent in monkeypox cases and has become a key point in distinguishing it from smallpox, providing clinicians with important clues for early differential diagnosis.

3. Mutated new strains

There are significant differences in transmission characteristics between the current monkeypox outbreak and the 2022 outbreak. The monkeypox epidemic in 2022 is mainly concentrated in the gay male community, and the fatality rate is extremely low, less than one percent. However, the currently circulating strain is a new variant of monkeypox virus "Clade I" - "Clade Ib", and its potential lethality has aroused widespread concern. The mutated strain was first discovered in the Congo in September last year. It initially affected sex workers, but then quickly spread to a wider population, especially children, who became more susceptible to high risk group.