After the Corona epidemic, everything about the dangerous disease monkeypox, which is now spreading in the countries of the world

Days after the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain discovered many cases of monkeypox. The World Health Organization has warned that at least dozens of people have been infected with this virus from some regions of Africa, although the definitive diagnosis has not yet been confirmed. What are the symptoms of this infection? How much should we care about it? How does it move? Does he have a cure? We answer all these questions in the lines below.

After the Corona epidemic, everything about the dangerous disease monkeypox, which is now spreading in the countries of the world

It is a virus belonging to the large family of poxviruses, of which smallpox is part (although less dangerous, transmissible and deadly), "the greatest epidemic in human history that could have caused the deaths of between 500 and 1000 million", asserts Jose Antonio López Guerrero, Director of the Neurovirology Group at the Department of Molecular Biology at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). Keep in mind that smallpox was eradicated with the vaccine in the 1980s.

 The specialist explains that this disease that is endemic in Africa is zoonotic, that is, we humans share with other vertebrates.

 - How does it move?

Monkeypox can be transmitted from monkeys to humans through close contact. “Once the virus is transmitted to us, we can get infected through bodily fluids,” Lopez explains. He adds that the disease appeared specifically in gay men, although “this does not mean that it cannot be transmitted between men and women, in addition to direct contact.” with exotic animals.

 Similarly, Fernando de la Cali, a spokesperson for the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), notes that infection can occur through "contact with the skin of a person with a rash as a result of the disease." . Respiratory droplets can also be responsible for infection if you live near an infected person. Of course, the microbiologist makes it clear that, unlike Covid-19, in this case there will be no talk of transmission through the respiratory system.

“Coronavirus spreads easily through the air and this virus is more by contact, so its transmission is more complex. In addition, we know that it is a pathogen from DNA, that is, it will not mutate to the same extent as Covid-19,” says Jose. Ramos Vivas, Professor of Microbiology and Researcher at the European University of the Atlantic.

 - What are its symptoms?

 General symptoms of the disease, which usually occur before the rash, include:

 - Fever

 Muscle pain.

 - Tired.

 What is the incubation period?

 The incubation period, Lopez stresses, will depend on the infected person, the dose received, and their immune system. Taking into account these variables, "the incubation period generally lasts between one to two weeks, although it has been shown that it can be anywhere from 5 to 21 days"

 How dangerous is it?

 In Africa, the mortality rate ranges between 4 and 22%, according to microbiologist Raul Rivas' blog. Of course, as the specialists interviewed warned, the health conditions there are not the same as those in, say, Europe. Therefore, it is still difficult to assess the complications that this infection can cause.

 However, Lopez notes that despite the fact that unknown symptoms may appear as cases increase, "the prognosis is usually good, and after these two weeks of illness, the immune response is usually effective."

 In addition, Ramos asserts, certainly, that the infected people are under the age of 50, because those over this age "are protected by the smallpox vaccine, which theoretically protects well against this virus."

Should we be concerned about the outbreak of this disease?

 De la Calle notes that these small outbreaks, which first occurred in the UK, Portugal and now Spain, are generating "well-understood" concerns, meaning it is normal to be on the alert before an as-yet-unknown pathogen emerges. "You don't have to be very frightened, but that concern implies creating logical containment at this point if cases are confirmed," he adds.

 For his part, Lopez stated that, "For now, the concern does not go beyond the epidemiological monitoring of the official agencies. For the rest, there should be no panic because, among other things, it will be of little use."

 - Is there a cure?

 Currently, there is no cure for monkeypox, there are some antiviral drugs, but because it is such an exceptional disease in humans, there are not well-developed studies with enough patients to determine a treatment."