Monkeypox Case Confirmed In England

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The U.K. health authorities have confirmed a case of monkeypox, which is a virus passed from infected animals such as rodents to humans, in someone with a recent travel history to Nigeria where they are believed to have caught it.

The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not spread easily between people and is usually a mild “self-limiting illness” and most people recover within a few weeks. However, severe illness can occur in some cases.

The first-ever recorded occurrence of the monkeypox virus in the U.K. was in 2018, and since then a handful of cases have been confirmed by health authorities.

Last year in July 2021, for the first time in nearly two decades, a rare case of human monkeypox was detected in Texas, US. That patient is a US resident who also had returned from Nigeria a couple of days ago.
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 infection was first discovered in 1958 following two outbreaks of a pox-like disease in colonies of monkeys kept for research — which led to the name ‘monkeypox’.
The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox.
According to the WHO, 15 countries on four continents have so far reported confirmed cases of monkeypox in humans.
Locally acquired cases have been confirmed in the DRC (which has the largest incidence of the infection in the world), Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Imported cases have been found in South Sudan and Benin in Africa, and in the United States, UK, Israel, and Singapore.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, back ache, and exhaustion.
It also causes the lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy), which smallpox does not. The WHO underlines that it is important to not confuse monkeypox with chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, scabies, syphilis and medication-associated allergies.
The incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) for monkeypox is usually 7-14 days but can range from 5-21 days. Usually within a day to 3 days of the onset of fever, the patient develops a rash that begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body.
The skin eruption stage can last between 2 and 4 weeks, during which the lesions harden and become painful, fill up first with a clear fluid and then pus, and then develop scabs or crusts.
According to the WHO, the proportion of patients who die has varied between 0 and 11% in documented cases, and has been higher among young children.

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

There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for Monkeypox infection. In the past, the anti-smallpox vaccine was shown to be 85% effective in preventing Monkeypox.
But the world was declared free of smallpox in 1980 so the vaccine isn’t widely available anymore.
Currently, there is no global system in place to manage the spread of Monkeypox, with each country struggling to contain any outbreak whenever it occurs.
The WHO recommends supportive treatment depending on the symptoms.
Awareness is important for the prevention and control of the infection.

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.