The current monkeypox outbreak will be the first time many have heard of the disease, but it is thought to have been spreading for hundreds of years. The first documented cases of monkeypox were back in 1959 when two colonies of lab monkeys were kept for research.
This is a bit of a simplification. Squirrels, pouched rats, and dormice are some of the rodents that carry the virus. The virus is endemic in Central and West Africa. There were more than 4,600 suspected cases of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2020 alone, a 14-fold increase from the 1980s. There have been more than 500 suspected cases in Nigeria. The current global outbreak isn't that surprising because of the numbers and how connected the world is thanks to air travel.
There is a low risk of monkeypox to the general population. Stay calm if you think you have the virus or have come into contact with someone with it. You probably won't need any treatment, but you should do what you can to avoid spreading the virus.
How do I know if I have Monkeypox?
There are two different stages of monkeypox infections. When a virus enters a person's cells, they experience flu-like symptoms such as exhaustion, body aches, chills, and headaches as their immune system prepares to fight off the infection.
The second stage is the development of the pox, a nasty rash that usually begins on the face before spreading to the arms, legs, hands, feet, and trunk. Some of the patients in the latest outbreak have a rash around their genitals.
Doctors caution that you shouldn't assume you have monkeypox just because you have a rash. This can happen with diseases such as chickenpox and can also be a sign of STDs. The skin eruptions of the monkeypox rash are very distinct and begin with red and flat blisters. These eventually heal and fall off. The illness usually resolves within two to four weeks.
How does someone catch something?
People who have come into contact with animals that have been bitten by monkeys can be affected by the disease. People can catch the virus either by eating it or by biting it.
It isn't that common for someone to catch the virus and pass it on. It takes a long time for someone to give it to someone else. There are three ways in which monkeypox can be transmitted, and they all involve direct contact with the sores. Most likely through skin-to-skin contact, sexual contact has provided one route of transmission in the current outbreak.
The rate of infections for Covid-19 is much higher than for many other respiratory viruses. In 2003 monkeypox reached the US after animals were shipped from Africa to Illinois. The prairie dogs were being sold as pets in multiple Midwestern states and 47 people became sick from the virus. The outbreak was over after it had begun.
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