While most of us are still worried about Covid 19, the World Health Organisation received information about another deadly disease called Monkeypox. However, this is an unusual and unprecedented monkeypox outbreak. It has taken scientists who specialize in the disease by complete surprise and it is always a concern when a virus changes its behavior. Until now, monkeypox was pretty predictable.
The disease is out and there are already 80 confirmed cases in 11 countries including the UK. The disease has similar to smallpox but with much more severe symptoms and less infectious. Some of the symptoms include; Fever, headaches, swellings, aching muscles, and exhaustion. Other symptoms include an itchy rash and lesions mainly on the face, hands, and feet.
The disease spreads by close contact with an infected person or animal or touching clothes or beddings used by the infected person. According to the World Health Organisation smallpox vaccine and antiviral drugs can help relieve symptoms of monkeypox.
Monkeypox is a DNA disease that does not mutate rapidly like covid 19 or flu, Very early genetic analysis suggests the current cases are very closely related to forms of the virus seen in 2018 and 2019. It is too early to be sure, but for now there is no evidence this is a new mutant variant at play.
But a virus doesn't have to change in order to take advantage of an opportunity, as we have learned from unexpected large outbreaks of both Ebola and Zika virus in the last decade.
