Monkeypox

monkey pox virus

What is Monkey Pox

Monkeypox or what is known as chickenpox, is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, a disease similar to smallpox caused by the variola virus , but monkeypox is not as fatal as when infected with smallpox.

Recently, the number of Monkey Pox infections has increased around the world, which has made it a source of concern for many individuals for fear of becoming a global epidemic, as happened to the new corona virus.

History and prevalence of Monkey Pox

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 as a result of an outbreak of a smallpox-like disease among a group of monkeys intended for scientific research, as a result of which this disease was called monkeypox, while the first case of this disease among humans was diagnosed in 1970 in the Republic of Congo and it was a 7-year-old child. 

Monkey pox was spreading mainly in the countries of Central and West Africa, where the incidence of this disease outside the continent of Africa was recorded only 3 times before the advent of 2022, and they are as follows:

2003 in the United States.

2018 in England.

2021 in Texas and Maryland.

Monkey Pox has been a concern since May 2022, as it has begun to spread to multiple non-endemic countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Britain, and the United States of America. At least one case has also been reported in Switzerland, Denmark and the Canary Islands.

Types of monkey pox virus

There are two vital types or branches of the monkey pox virus, dividing this virus into the following two groups:

The Central African monkey pox virus (Congo Basin), and this type is characterized by causing more severe symptoms than the other type, causing higher rates of mortality, and it is easier to transmit.

The West African monkeypox virus, which is currently widespread, which causes less severe symptoms than the other type, and the process of transmission from person to person by contact is limited.

What is monkeypox? Mpox is a zoonosis disease that is transmitted from animals to humans. According to WHO, smallpox was eradicated in 1980 whereas mpox continues to occur in central and west Africa. Due to the nature of transmission of this disease, cases are often found close to tropical rainforests