Monkeypox – It is a rare disease and is caused by infection with the monkey virus. It is also a viral and infectious disease that may occur in humans and many other animals and is similar to smallpox. Monkeypox was discovered in the year 1958 and the first human case of this infectious disease in the year 1970.

 Monkeypox is the most common disease in West and Central Asia but it may spread in several regions outside Africa in May 2022. It is a zoonotic virus that means it spreads from animals to humans. The first case of this disease occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the year 1970.

Symptoms – The common symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox however it is less severe. There are several initial symptoms of monkeypox are given below –

1. Headache
2. Sore throat
3. Fever
4. Backache
5. Tiredness
6. Dry cough
7. Problem in breathing (in serious cases)
8. Swollen lymph nodes

During the recent outbreak, doctors have noticed that some new symptoms may occur are given below –

1. Fewer bumps
2. A painful rash can begin out on your genitals, public area, or around your anus.
3. Many individuals cannot suffer from a fever or flu-like symptoms before the rash.
4. Some people can get a fever at all
5. Bumps are similar to blisters, open sores, or pus-filled bumps

Causes – Monkeypox is caused by the monkey virus that is regarded as a member of the Orthopox virus. It is a virus that can transmit to humans from animals.

Spreading of monkeypox – Monkeypox can spread from human to human through close contact and respiratory droplets from face-to-face contact. There are several other ways to spread monkeypox in humans are given below –

1. Monkeypox may spread from animal to human through an animal bite.
2. Monkeypox is also spread through human-to-human transmission and respiratory droplets from face-to-face contact.
3.  It is also spread through cuddling, kissing, and sexual contact.
4. This infectious disease is also spread by touching fabrics (including towels and clothes), and objects which have been by an individual who is suffered from monkeypox.

Treatment – There is no separate treatment or vaccines developed for this virus due to only a handful of cases. Most people recover and survive from monkeypox without any treatment. But smallpox and monkeypox are genetically similar so vaccines are used for eradication of smallpox that may protect against monkeypox also.