Monkey pox: causes, symptoms and how to treat it

What is monkey pox?

Aka monkey pox monkeypox is a viral infectious disease caused by a rare virus from an animal (virus zoonosis)

Monkeys are the main hosts of viruses monkeypox. Therefore, this disease is called monkey pox. A case of transmission from monkeys to humans was first discovered in 1970 in Congo, South Africa.

The symptoms of this disease are generally similar to those of smallpox (smallpox), such as fever and a skin rash that blisters become chewy. However, symptoms are also accompanied by swelling of the lymph nodes in the armpit.

The transmission of monkey pox between humans takes place through direct contact with elastic or skin wounds, body fluids, droplets (droplets) released when sneezing and coughing, and touching surfaces contaminated with the virus. monkeypox.

The dangers of this disease can be effectively prevented through vaccines. Antivirus for the treatment of monkey pox is still being studied further.

How common is this disease?

Monkey pox started as an endemic disease in Central and West Africa.

It was first discovered in 1958 when a smallpox epidemic attacked a group of monkeys who were deliberately kept in a laboratory belonging to a health institution for research. The first human case occurred in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded a significant number of infections monkeypox which occurs in humans outside Africa, with details:

• 47 cases in the United States in 2003
• 3 cases in UK in 2003
• 1 case in Israel in 2018
• 1 case in Singapore (1 case) in 2019

Young adults, adolescents, and young children and babies are more susceptible to infection monkeypox. Of the approximately 10% of reported cases of death, the majority are children.

Monkey pox signs and symptoms

People infected with the monkeypox virus will start showing their first symptoms 6-16 days after exposure.

The period when the virus is not actively multiplying in the body is known as the incubation period. The incubation period for the monkey pox virus can range from 6-13 days. However, it can also occur in a longer range, namely 5-21 days.

However, as long as there are no symptoms, a person can still transmit the monkey pox virus to others.

The initial symptoms of this disease are the same as chickenpox which is caused by a viral infection, which causes flu-like symptoms.

Reporting from WHO, the appearance of monkey pox symptoms is divided into two periods of infection, namely the invasion period and the skin eruption period. Here's the explanation:

Invasion period

The invasion period occurs within 0-5 days after first infection with the virus. When a person is in the invasion period, he will show several symptoms of monkey pox, such as:

• Fever
• Severe headache
• Lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes)
• Back pain
• Muscle ache
• Severe fatigue (asthenia)

Swelling of the lymph nodes is what distinguishes monkey pox from other types of smallpox. Non-variola smallpox infections, such as chickenpox and shingles, do not cause swelling of the lymph nodes.

In severe cases, the infected person may experience other health problems early in the infection.

Such is the case examined in the studyClinical Manifestations of Human Monkeypox. The group of patients who were exposed to the virus through the mouth or respiratory tract showed respiratory problems such as coughing, sore throat and runny nose.

Meanwhile, patients who were bitten directly by infected animals also experienced nausea and vomiting in addition to fever.

Period of skin eruptions

This period occurs 1-3 days after the fever appears. The main symptom in this phase is the appearance of a skin rash.

The rash first appears on the face and then spreads over the body. The face and palms and feet are the areas most affected by this rash.

The appearance of the rash can also be found on the mucous membranes located in the throat, genital area, including the eye and corneal tissues.

The rash that forms usually starts with spots and turns into vesicles or elastic, which is a skin blister filled with fluid. Within a few days, the rash will turn dry to form a crust (scab) on the skin.

The development of the rash from spots to scabs on the skin generally occurs in about 10 days. It takes about three weeks for all the scabs on the skin of the body to peel off by themselves.

When to go to the doctor

If you think you have come in contact with someone or an infected wild animal monkeypox, immediately consult a doctor. Especially if you have recently traveled to the area where this outbreak originated.

If you experience symptoms as mentioned, you should immediately see a doctor to get the right treatment. Treatment also helps prevent complications from occurring.

Although monkey pox is a disease that can heal by itself (self-limited disease), but the symptoms can be bothersome and uncomfortable. Moreover, this disease tends to heal longer than other smallpox diseases.

Cause of monkey pox

Monkey pox virus is a virus of animal origin (zoonotic virus).

It is known that this virus was originally transmitted by the bite of wild animals such as squirrels. However, the researchers also found that this virus infected a group of monkeys that were being studied. From here, the disease is called monkey pox.

The monkey pox virus comes from the genus Orthopoxvirus in the Poxviridae family. Viruses belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus include the variola virus that causes smallpox (smallpox), vaccinia virus (which is used in the smallpox vaccine), and cowpox virus.

Most cases of monkey pox experienced by humans are caused by transmission from animals. Viruses of animal origin can enter the human body through open wounds in the skin, respiratory tract, mucous membranes, and mucosa (saliva).

Mode of transmission of monkey pox

This disease is known to be transmitted through direct contact with skin, blood, body fluids, or mucosal (saliva) lesions that contain the virus. However, how did animals get to pass it on to humans?

In Africa, animal-to-human transmission is known to occur through daily contact with infected monkeys, squirrels and Gambian rats.

According to the CDC, transmission of chickenpox from animals to humans can also occur through animal bites, direct contact with animal fluids or skin lesions or indirect contact with surfaces contaminated with the virus.

Case of transmission monkeypox from one person to another is generally very minimal. Human-to-human transmission of the monkey pox virus often occurs from droplets that originate in the respiratory tract of an infected person.

Not only through exposure to droplets released when sneezing or coughing by an infected person, transmission of the virus from droplets can also occur during regular face-to-face contact with an infected person.

This virus can also move from the body of pregnant women into the fetus through the placenta.

Risk factors

Anyone who has never been infected with the virus that causes monkey pox has an opportunity to develop this disease. However, you will be more at risk for contracting the disease when:

• Make direct contact without wearing protective gear with wild stars.
• Make close contact with monkeys infected with this disease virus.
• Eating meat and other body parts of wild animals, especially without first being cooked until cooked.
• Caring for people with monkey pox.
• Doing research on viruses monkeypox in the laboratory.

Diagnosis

To diagnose this disease, the doctor will perform a physical examination to identify symptoms. However, this disease can be misdiagnosed as other smallpox diseases such as chicken pox or shingles.

Therefore, usually the doctor will require you to undergo laboratory tests that are used to determine the presence of the virus infection that causes monkey pox.

One of the tests that doctors recommend is the swab or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This test aims to analyze samples from skin lesions or areas of skin affected by smallpox.

Treatment for monkey pox

So far, no specific treatment for monkey pox has been found in Indonesia, considering that this disease has not been found in Indonesia.

Although there is no specific treatment, this disease can be treated by trying to control the symptoms that appear through supportive care and treatment through antivirals.

Supportive care cannot stop an ongoing viral infection, but aims to increase the body's resistance to infection.

As long as you experience symptoms, you are advised to get plenty of rest time and meet your fluid and nutritional needs by following a strict healthy diet.

You should also self-quarantine by staying at home and limiting social contact with people in the neighborhood.

Until now, there is no specific drug that can treat the viral infection that causes monkey pox. However, the type of antiviral used to treat smallpox, namely cidofovir or tecovirimat can help in the recovery process.

In cases of severe symptoms, patients are advised to stay in the hospital for intensive treatment.

To control the health effects of this disease, prevention through smallpox vaccine and immunoglobulin vaccine is the main solution for treating monkey pox.

Monkey pox prevention

Prevention is always better than cure. This also applies to the treatment of monkey pox.

Giving smallpox vaccine (Jynneos) is known to be 85% effective in preventing this disease. This vaccine is a modification of the vaccinia vaccine which was previously used to prevent smallpox.

In 2019, the FDA officially approved Jynneos as a vaccine that can prevent smallpox (smallpox) as well as monkey pox (monkeypox).

The administration of two doses of Jynneos vaccine within 28 days has been shown to strengthen the immune system response compared to one dose of the previous smallpox vaccine.

However, the availability of these vaccines in public health service centers is still very limited. In Indonesia, there is no specific vaccine to prevent it monkeypox.

Nowadays, implementing clean and healthy living habits such as washing your hands with soap regularly, especially after interacting with animals is still the main preventive measure that can help you avoid the risk of infection with this disease.

Some other things you can do to prevent monkey pox include:

• Avoid direct contact with rodents, primates, or other wild animals that may be exposed to the virus (including contact with dead animals in infected areas).
• Avoid contact with any object, such as a bed, on which a sick animal has been.
• Do not eat wild animal meat that is not well cooked.
• Keep away as much as possible from infected patients.
• For medical personnel, wear masks and gloves when handling people who are sick.

If you have questions or complaints related to this disease, immediately consult further with your doctor for the best solution.