What is Monkypox?
Monkypox is a rare viral disease caused by a monkeypox virus, which is a member of the orthopoxvirus family. This family also consists smallpox; however, monkeypox usually is less severe than smallpox. Here’s an overview of the virus and the disease it causes:
Origins and Transmission:
These were first identified in 1958 in laboratory monkeys, hence their name. However, it first appeared among humans in Congo Basin played host to coronavirus in 1970.
It can be transmitted from animals through direct contact with infected animal body parts like skin or blood. Transference could occur from one person to other if there is direct body fluid contact like saliva urine faeces urine vomit lesions etc., as well as respiratory droplets.
Symptoms:
The incubation period: symptoms develop usually within 7-14 days after exposure though this may take between 5-21 days.
Fever muscles aches tiredness headache back pain and chills together with swollen lymph nodes are some of the initial symptoms.
Skin Rash: The major characteristic of this type of rash starts on face and then spreads outwards. In its development a rash goes through several stages macules, papules, vesicles pustules, followed finally by scabs.
Severity and Treatment:
Monkeypox can either be mild or severe and in extreme cases may lead to complications that are life threatening but death is not common.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmad is addressing a press conference in Islamabad:
The confirmation of the first case of monkeypox in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the federal government on Saturday asked people to exercise caution, advising them not to panic as the mortality rate of the virus was low.
He said, “Addressing a news conference here, Prime Minister Coordinator on National Health Services Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that there is no need to panic as only one case of mpox has been detected in Pakistan. He said that the virus was detected in 99,000 people in the world of which only 200 patients died and the rest recovered. He pointed out that the person, who tested positive for the virus in KP, recently returned from the Gulf region. He said the detection prompted action by the concerned authorities that isolated the family members of the affected person.
“The government has devised an comprehensive strategy to save the people from the virus”, he added that surveillance and screening at all airports and points of entry are in place for the passengers. He further said that laboratories in the provinces, along with the federal capital are kept reserved for diagnosing Mpox. Travelers coming from Africa, United States of America, and Gulf countries will be screened, Ahmad said.
He said that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Centre and the provinces have taken all measures on a priority basis to stop the potential spread of the disease. The PM’s aide said that continuous monitoring is being ensured at the level of the Ministry of Health daily and added that the government is keeping a close eye on the situation.
He added that the ministry is in full contact with the provinces, and on the instructions of the prime minister, a meeting is being held on a day-to-day basis. He appealed to the people that if their family has a travel history or symptoms of Mpox, they should isolate themselves at home. “In such a situation, contact a qualified doctor and follow the doctor’s instructions in case of having any symptoms.”
He said that symptoms may take 10 to 15 days to appear and spending too much time with the patient can spread it. “It is better if the patient is quarantined,” he said, adding that fever medicines are used for Mpox. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif presided over an emergency session on monkeypox after a first patient was diagnosed with the disease in KP. The prime minister said, in his speech at the meeting, that the World Health Organization had declared mpox a global health emergency. He mentioned the need for strict monitoring so that this virus did not spread in the country.
The Premier directed the concerned authorities to ensure proper surveillance and screening at all airports, ports and borders. He directed the BHS to monitor present conditions strictly. According to WHO, mpox is a viral zoonosis, an agent of a variety of diseases like smallpox that has been eradicated, and is transmitted by every kind of close contact and contaminated materials—like sheets, clothing, needles, etc.
A new form of the virus has triggered global concern because it seems to spread more easily through routine close contact. A case of the new variant was confirmed on Thursday in Sweden and linked to a growing outbreak in Africa—the first sign of its spread outside the continent.