Let’s talk about monkeypox, which you hear a lot in the news these days. Here’s a brief history of it, how to protect yourself from it, and how much it bothers you.
Monkeypox is a virus in the same family as chickenpox, the virus that causes smallpox. Symptoms are similar to smallpox, but monkeypox is much milder. It has absolutely nothing to do with chickenpox or shingles.
The disease was first discovered in a laboratory in 1958 and caused outbreaks in several colonies of monkeys. These first scientists and others thought it was probably an epidemic in monkeys and named it monkeypox.
It is not known exactly when the virus began infecting monkeys and humans, but it first infected humans in 1970. Most often confined to the regions of West Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic. Congo, in particular, has been hit harder over the years.
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Prior to this outbreak, most cases were confined to international travelers or people who had contact with imported exotic animals. Most of the spread from infected animals was through handling them, being bitten or scratched, and eating virus-infected meat.
Especially from this outbreak, we know that the virus is spread 99% of the time through direct person-to-person contact, with skin-to-skin contact being the most common route of transmission.
There is some evidence that the virus can be spread by airborne droplets, but we do not know for sure if this is the case. is. And there’s evidence that the virus can still be there even a week after the wound has crusted.
Guys, think about sex. Think about people having sex with each other. They are in skin-to-skin contact. That’s where almost all infections occur. There is some evidence that it can be spread through semen, which is a common part of the sexual act when men have sex.
The current outbreak is occurring primarily in the gay community, with sex between men being the main focus.A man or woman with monkeypox can transmit it to others through its direct skin-to-skin contact Sex is the primary activity of contagion because of the
Well, what are the symptoms? First, there is the latent period. Despite being infected with the virus, he has no symptoms and is in good health. This can take from as little as 3 days to over 2 weeks.
After that, the disease enters the active phase. Many people are asymptomatic throughout this stage. Some people have only minimal symptoms, while others have a full-blown problem with fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, and a rash that forms blisters and then crusts. If you want to know if you can see it, search it on Google.
As for scars, there are four stages. All bruises appear on the body at the same time and in the same stage of the disease. It then progresses to a rising stage called the papules, followed by a fluid-swollen vesicular stage underneath. Finally, it enters the pustule stage, where the ulcer oozes pus and begins to evolve into a flat scab. They look different than most people my age had chickenpox as a child.
US health officials are calling this a public health emergency so that education, funding, treatment and vaccines are available. But for those of us who are not in close contact with a monkeypox patient, the chances of contracting monkeypox are slim.
The federal government is questioning whether it should be called a sexually transmitted disease because it appears to be spreading in the United States. It has some merit in that it can be removed…before it becomes endemic. Once it becomes endemic, that is, when it is present in the population and appears freely, it becomes difficult to treat.
my spin: Familiarize yourself with monkeypox lesions, especially if you are in a group at high risk for monkeypox. Remember that direct skin-to-skin contact is the most common route of transmission. And look for more on monkeypox in this space next week.
This column provides general health information. Always discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider. Dr. Paster does not imply or provide an ongoing relationship of any kind to those who submit questions. does not represent or reflect
