Animalscaretips
Monkeypox is caused by Monkeypox virus, which belongs to the orthopoxvirus group of viruses. Other members of this group of viruses that cause infections in humans include variola (smallpox), vaccinia (used for smallpox vaccine), and cowpox viruses.
- Where did monkeypox come from?
- Can monkeypox be cured?
- Is monkeypox contagious to humans?
- How is monkeypox caught?
- What happens if you get monkeypox?
- Can monkeypox go away on its own?
- When did they stop giving the smallpox vaccine?
- What is the mortality rate of monkeypox?
- Is monkeypox related to chickenpox?
- Who is at risk for monkeypox?
- Should we be worried about monkeypox?
- Is monkeypox still around?
- Is monkeypox transmitted?
Where did monkeypox come from?
Scientists first noticed the disease in 1958 in a group of lab monkeys used for research. Monkeypox has also been found in certain rodents and other primates in Africa. The first known human infection was in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Can monkeypox be cured?
At this time, there are no specific treatments available for monkeypox infection, but monkeypox outbreaks can be controlled. Smallpox vaccine, cidofovir, ST-246, and vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) can be used to control a monkeypox outbreak.
Is monkeypox contagious to humans?
Infection with monkeypox virus begins with an incubation period. A person is not contagious during this period. Incubation period averages 7−14 days but can range from 5−21 days. A person does not have symptoms and may feel fine.
How is monkeypox caught?
People can catch monkeypox by coming in contact with infected animals or animal products, including by preparing wild game or being bitten or scratched by an animal, according to the CDC. Experts believe human-to-human transmission of monkeypox occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets.
What happens if you get monkeypox?
Monkeypox can spread to humans. Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, a general feeling of discomfort, and exhaustion. Later symptoms occur one to three days or more after the appearance of fever and include a rash with raised bumps, often first developing on the face.
Can monkeypox go away on its own?
Most cases of the virus are mild, sometimes resembling chickenpox, and clear up on their own within a few weeks. Monkeypox can sometimes be more severe, however, with one in 100 cases being deadly, according to the CDC. Though rare, the disease has been discovered in the US before.
When did they stop giving the smallpox vaccine?
The vaccine helps the body develop immunity to smallpox. It was successfully used to eradicate smallpox from the human population. Routine vaccination of the American public against smallpox stopped in 1972 after the disease was eradicated in the United States.
What is the mortality rate of monkeypox?
Monkeypox is caused by a virus that is related to smallpox, the only human virus to have been eradicated. It causes less severe illness than smallpox, but is still quite dangerous. The CDC said that the fatality rate for the strain of monkeypox seen in the Dallas case is about 10%. Monkeypox is rarely seen in people.
Is monkeypox related to chickenpox?
It is from a different virus family than chickenpox. However, like chickenpox and smallpox, monkeypox causes a rash that forms into rounded poxes that scab over and can scar.
Who is at risk for monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a relatively uncommon disease. Risk factors include animal bites and scratches from infected animals (mainly African rodents or monkeys) or from other rodents (like prairie dogs) that have had contact with African animals infected with the virus.
Should we be worried about monkeypox?
Should you worry about monkeypox? There may be a reason to worry about the virus. Per the CDC, the strain of monkeypox can be fatal in about 1 in 100 people. However, rates can be higher among those who have weak immune systems.
Is monkeypox still around?
An outbreak occurred in Nigeria from 2017 to 2019, with cases still being reported in 2021. In addition to Nigeria, outbreaks have also been reported in nine other countries in central and western Africa since 1970. In 2020, over 6200 suspected cases were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Is monkeypox transmitted?
Monkeypox virus is mostly transmitted to people from wild animals such as rodents and primates, but human-to-human transmission also occurs. Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.
