The Monkeypox

– Monkeypox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus.

– The common symptoms of monkeypox are skin irritation with oral ulcers that can last for 2-4 weeks with (fever, headache, muscle pain, back pain, weakness, swollen lymph nodes).

– Laboratory tests for this type of rash are by testing for skin lesions (PCR).

– Vaccines and treatments used for common pox are approved to treat this type of pox in some countries.

– By prohibiting contact with the person carrying this type of virus. Vaccination can help prevent infection in people at risk

 

Anyone who gets monkeypox can be transmitted in the following ways:

– Contact with an infected person (contact, kissing, etc.).

– Through contact with infected animals while hunting or cooking infected animal meat.

– Through contact with used belongings of infected persons.

– Through an infected pregnant mother to the unborn child.

 

History of its emergence:

It was first discovered in Denmark in 1958 in the monkeys used for research. The first recorded case of monkeypox was a nine-month-old boy in Congo. Following the eradication of smallpox in the 1980s, the whole world has been vaccinated against smallpox, and monkeypox has reappeared as a substitute in central, eastern and western Africa. The global spread appeared between 2022-2023.

 

The routes of transmission by humans as mentioned earlier are predominantly through contact and physical contact and the virus enters the body through wounded skin. Transmission of the virus from animals to humans by biting and rubbing human skin with animal hands has also been reported during hunting, trapping, cooking and eating the meat of infected animals, and playing with animals. It can be transmitted through objects and clothing, and injuries during patient care and then through beauty salons during tattoos.

 

 

Symptoms:

– Appears within a week or after 1-21 days.

– Symptoms last for 2-4 weeks, but it may last longer in people with weakened immune systems.

Common symptoms:

– Skin sensitivity

– Fever

– Sore throat

– Headache

– Muscle and back pain

– Weakness

– Swelling of the lymph nodes

 

The first symptom after infection can be skin sensitivity in most people, but it can vary from person to person. Skin allergy is initially just a flat wound and later develops into a watery bubble that can be painful.

It can appear anywhere in the body such as:

– Soles of the hands, soles of the feet.

– Face, mouth and throat

– Near the genitals

 

People infected with monkeypox can still transmit the disease until their skin heals completely, and they get over the disease. Children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at increased risk of infection.

The health problems that may be encountered by the infected person include:

– Pneumonia

– Inflammation of the retina that causes vision loss

– Pain and difficulty when swallowing food

– vomiting

– diarrhea

– Malnutrition

– Inflammation of the brain

 

Identification and diagnosis can be as difficult as any other infection due to similarity.

It is important to distinguish between (measles, chickenpox and rubella). A child suspected of monkeypox may also have chickenpox. For these reasons, it is important for people to get tested and treated early.

 

Vaccines and treatment

The goal of treating monkeypox is to address sensitivity, reduce pain and eliminate complications. Getting a monkeypox vaccine can help prevent this infection. The vaccine is given within four days of contact with an infected person or within fourteen days of having no symptoms. Health workers and people who may come into contact with infected people should get vaccinated to prevent infection.

 

The infected person will recover within 2-4 weeks, but should take the following precautions:

– Stay at home and in your room.

– Wash hands with soap and water after touching the skin.

– Wear masks and cover wounds outside the home.

– Try to keep the skin dry and not covered at home.

– Do not use water and salt to rinse the mouth during wounds.

– Use painkillers for pain.

 Things not to do:

– Do not irritate the skin and do not touch the bubbles on the skin, which causes delayed skin healing.

– Hair should not be removed from the area of ​​the skin with blisters and ulcers.

 

 

Directorate of Health and Safety

Sulaimani Polytechnic University