US ‘Monkeypox’ Case 1st Case Since 2003

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US reports monkeypox case first time in nearly 20 years
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A rare case of human monkeypox was detected in Texas in the US, for the first time in nearly 20 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on 16^th

The patient is a US resident who had returned from Nigeria a couple of days ago and is currently hospitalized in isolation in Dallas, Live Science reported.

The last time, there was a monkeypox outbreak – a zoonotic disease – in the US was in 2003, when 47 people were affected by the virus. It was traced to pet prairie dogs in the Midwest that harboured the virus.

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease – that is transmitted to humans from animals -, most cases of which are found in Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the monkeypox virus is similar to human smallpox. Although monkeypox is much milder than smallpox, it can be fatal with a mortality rate of between one and 10 per cent, with most deaths occurring in younger age groups.

The first case of monkeypox was identified in Nigeria in 2017 in 39 years. Since then there have been sporadic cases of it in Nigeria. It is zoonotic, belonging to the same family of smallpox although less severe than smallpox with lower infection.

According to CDC, after 12 days of contracting the virus one can experience fever, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.
The body starts developing rashes after 3 days of contact, with fever kicking in.
The rashes spread throughout the body and can be extremely itchy, which goes through different stages while healing, forming a scab, and then falls off.
The lesions can lead to scarring. The symptoms and illness last up to 2 to 4 weeks and are reduced on their own.

The virus lives in animals, including primates and rodents, but it can sometimes “jump” from animals to people.
The virus spreads from person to person mainly through exposure to respiratory droplets, which can enter the body through mucous membranes in the eyes, mouth and nose.
In addition, monkeypox can also be transmitted when a person has contact with infected lesions or body fluids; indirectly, a person can catch monkeypox from contact with contaminated clothing or linens.

There are two distinct genetic groups (clades) of monkeypox virus—

Human infections with the Central African monkeypox virus clade are typically more severe compared to those with the West African virus clade and have a higher mortality.
Person-to-person spread is well-documented for Central African monkeypox virus and limited with West African monkeypox.
The monkeypox virus is related to the virus that causes smallpox, though monkeypox is a milder illness and does not spread easily between people

As of now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that there is no specific cure for the illness, however, it can be controlled with smallpox vaccine cidofovir, ST-246, and vaccinia immune globulin (VIG).

Poxvirusesare the largest and most complex viruses.
Poxviruses are brick or oval-shaped viruses with large double-stranded DNA genomes.
Poxviruses exist throughout the world and cause disease in humans and many other types of animals. Poxvirus infections typically result in the formation of lesions, skin nodules, or disseminated rash.