Monkeypox (MPX): Heard of It?

I know, trust me, I know. Here comes another disease outbreak. It just seems like we cannot catch a break. While there are no cases of monkeypox (MPX) in Africa presently, it does not hurt for all of us to take precautions and for our leaders to be prepared to handle MPX cases in case of any outbreaks here. MPX is not highly contagious, but it is making news because cases are occurring unusually in countries where they do not happen. MPX occurs in Central and West Africa, mostly in endemic countries. So far, several countries, 19 in total, in Europe, America, Australia, and the Middle East [1] have reported cases of MPX.

And some of the MPX-reported cases in these countries have no travel links to any endemic country in Africa. So what is MPX? It is a disease caused by the MPX virus and is a cousin of smallpox [2]. Monkeys kept in a Danish lab for research in 1958 [2] were first identified with MPX. However, you will find its host in rodents like beavers, guinea pigs, squirrels, rats, porcupines, and hamsters. Later a child in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970 [2] became the first human case of MPX. The symptoms of MPX range from mild to severe and are:

• · Rashes with blisters on the face, feet, hands, mouth, and genitals [2],

• · muscles and backaches [2],

• · fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, and fatigue [2].

MPX is known as a cousin of smallpox because its symptoms are similar. That is why I cannot overemphasize the importance of going for a consultation and getting tested to get a confirmed diagnosis. You can get MPX through close contact with an infected animal or person through skin-to-skin contact, face-to-face contact, mouth-to-skin contact, breath droplets, and touching infected bed linens, towels, clothing, and objects [2].

Everyone is at risk of getting infected. Some populations are at a much higher risk than others. Health workers, household members, sexual partners, pregnant women, children, and people with underlying immune deficiencies are at higher risk [2]. So is there a vaccine available for MPX? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the smallpox vaccine provides cross-protection against MPX [2]. Most young people do not know about Smallpox because the vaccination campaign ended worldwide when smallpox got eradicated in 1980 [2]. Those born before 1980 have some protection. However, to gain maximum protection against MPX, the older generation might need booster shots. Meanwhile, the younger generation, born in 1981 and above, are susceptible to infection and will need to get the smallpox vaccine if exposed. Countries with current MPX cases are now offering the smallpox vaccine to those exposed for protection.

To protect ourselves and others, we need to avoid close contact, ensure that meat is well cooked, and wash plates and utensils with warm water (if possible) and detergent. Clean and disinfect surfaces and maintain good hygiene practices. While we are all doing what we can to keep ourselves safe, researchers are still doing some investigations to determine the source of the infection. Disease outbreaks occur from time to time. We cannot escape this. What is not normal is for folks to disregard all public health advice and think health or public health professionals delight in having disease outbreaks.

Bringing this forward is not to cause fear, but rather to ensure the population is better informed and provides ways to curb any further spread between people.

References

1. Monkeypox: Cases detected in three more countries for first time. BBC News. (2022). Retrieved 25 May 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61568470.

2. Multi-country monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries. Who.int. (2022). Retrieved 25 May 2022, from https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON385.

3. Image Cred: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/monkeypox