A study published in eClinicalMedicine found that monkeypox patients may experience neurological problems like confusion and seizures in rare cases.

Monkeypox Virus

There is an image of a virus.

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About 2.5% of patients with monkeypox experienced at least one seizure, while 2% had encephalitis, a brain inflammation that can cause long-term disability, according to a review of 19 studies.

Most neurological issues occurred among patients who were hospitalized with the illness, with limited data available for more mild cases.

Depression and anxiety were more common among hospitalized patients, which may be due to the stigma attached to the disease, as well as the disfiguring lesions that can be caused by monkeypox.

Most studies didn't have enough information on long-term follow-up with patients to estimate how long these issues would last.

The study suggests that patients should be watched for symptoms of mental illness and that they should be able to get good care.

What We Don’t Know

The brain is affected by monkeypox Infections. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common among patients hospitalized and isolated from the rest of the world, and viral infections can have profound psychological effects such as fear, loss, discrimination and stigma. More studies are needed to estimate the prevalence and longevity of neurological problems in monkeys.

The monkeypox outbreak appears to be slowing in the US with more vaccines available and Americans taking more actions to reduce the spread of the disease. There were 1,699 new infections in the US in the week ending September 7, down from the previous week. The U.S. still has more monkeypox cases than any other country in the world, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Key Background

The ongoing global outbreak of monkeypox may be causing different types of symptoms than in the past, including rectal pain and penile swelling. Men who have sex with men are more likely to be affected by the global outbreak than anyone else. According to the CDC, there have been 17 deaths from the disease this year. The first US death from the ongoing outbreak of monkeypox is being investigated by local health officials. The World Health Organization says that monkeypox symptoms last two to four weeks. The WHO and the U.S. have both declared monkeypox a public health emergency in order to make it easier to respond to the disease.

Tangent

The Jynneos monkeypox vaccine is the only one approved by the FDA to protect against monkeypox. The White House says that the new strategy allows health care workers to give up to five doses of the vaccine into the skin instead of the full amount into fat tissue. The federal government wants to enroll 200 people who haven't been protected against diseases.

Big Number

Affirmatively, Affirmatively, Affirmatively, Affirmatively, Affirmatively, Affirmatively. 35 U.S. states have shared vaccine data with the CDC.

The symptoms of the monkeypox are different from the previous ones.

Health officials say the U.S. monkeypox outbreak is slowing as vaccine availability increases.