1 post tagged “monkeypox viruses”

Monkeypox is a rare infectious disease caused by monkeypox virus. The disease was first identified in laboratory monkeys, giving it its name. The disease is most prevalent in Central and West Africa, but an outbreak occurred also in the United States in 2003.  Monkeypox can be difficult to distinguish from mild smallpox and chickenpox. Human monkeypox is a zoonotic viral disease that occurs primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa in proximity to tropical rainforests where there is more frequent contact with infected animals. Monkeypox is usually transmitted to humans from rodents, pets, and primates through contact with the animal's blood or through a bite.

Monkeypox cannot be resolved with medication. The only treatment option is symptomatic—that is, patients are made as comfortable as possible. In March 1998, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases reported that an antiviral drug called cidofovir may combat monkeypox infection. The drug has worked successfully in primates, but further research is needed to determine its effectiveness in humans.

Monkeypox is classified as a zoonosis, which means that it is a disease of animals that can be transmitted to humans under natural conditions. The first cases of monkeypox reported in humans involved contact between humans and animals in the African rain forest. The outbreak that made headlines in the United States in June 2003, however, involved animals purchased as pets from pet stores. In nature, monkeypox has been found in monkeys, chimpanzees, rabbits, prairie dogs, Gambian rats, ground squirrels, and mice. It is not known as of late 2003 whether other wild or domestic animals can contract monkeypox.

In humans, monkeypox is similar to smallpox, except that enlargement of lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) is associated with monkeypox. About 12 days after exposure, the illness begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, a general feeling of discomfort, and exhaustion. Within 1 to 3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a papular rash (i.e., raised bumps), often first on the face but sometimes initially on other parts of the body. The lesions usually develop through several stages before crusting and falling off.

The incubation period for monkeypox is about 12 days (range 7 to 17 days). The illness begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, a general feeling of discomfort, and exhaustion. Within 1 to 3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a papular rash (i.e., raised bumps), often first on the face but sometimes initially on other parts of the body. The lesions usually develop through several stages before crusting and falling off.

Signs and symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox, but usually milder. About 12 days after people are infected with the virus, they may get a fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes and a general feeling of discomfort and exhaustion. Within one to three days after development of a fever, they will get a rash. The rash typically develops into raised bumps filled with fluid. It often starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body, but can originate on other areas of the body. The bumps go through several stages before they get crusty, scab over and fall off. A person is considered to be infectious to others until their lesions are crusted. The illness usually lasts for two to four weeks. If an exposed person does not develop signs or symptoms by the 21st day after the last exposure, they are unlikely to develop monkeypox.