Monkeypox - few facts; No cause for Alarm

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis in humans and some other animals also. There appears to be a gradual rise in monkeypox cases globally raising the alarm when the world is still battling the Covid pandemic. Although India has not witnessed any cases so far, caution was advised by Dr Vikas Deswal, senior consultant (internal medicine) at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram. There are two ways monkeypox spreads: (i) Animal to human, which can happen from a bite or scratch, contact with body fluid, indirect contact with contaminated bedding of the animal and (ii) Human to human, which can happen from direct contact with body fluid or touching infected rashes on the patient or indirect contact with contaminated clothes. The disease has an incubation period usually from 6 to 13 days ranging from 5 to 21 days from the time of exposure. The symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, swelling in the lymph nodes and rashes. Medicare is limited to treating the symptoms since there is no treatment for the disease itself. Death can occur due to complications caused by the symptoms—such as respiratory failure, hepatitis, even heart attacks. The first line of action is - not to be in the same room with an infected person without wearing protective gear. One relieving information is that the airborne droplets carrying the monkeypox virus are heavier than those carrying the Covid virus, and hence unable to travel as far.

The smallpox vaccine protects against monkeypox and its efficacy is estimated to be as high as 95 per cent if taken in the last 20 years. the WHO?today struck a cautious note that the situation was unlikely to become another global pandemic. Officials however acknowledged that there is much to be learnt about the zoonotic disease that is rather similar to smallpox.