5 reasons why you shouldn’t worry about Mpox virus and 2 antiviral drugs for treatment of it
The name of "Mpox" is actually a little bit of a misnomer. Perhaps it should be called "rodentpox" instead. The name "monkeypox" comes from the first documented cases of the illness, in 1958, when two outbreaks occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research.
But monkeys
aren't major carriers. Instead, the virus likely persists in squirrels, pouched
rats, dormice or another rodent.
You can
catch it from an animal bite, scratch or contact with the animal's bodily
fluid. Then the virus can spread to other people through coughing and sneezing
or contact with pus from the lesions.
Monkeypox is
a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms
very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is
clinically less severe.
1- It
doesn't spread very well between people. Its infection rate is much lower than
that of smallpox. In many cases, people don't spread the virus to anyone else.
2- Up until
this current outbreak, a person sick with monkeypox spread the virus to between
zero and one person, on average. So all previous outbreaks (up until now)
burned themselves out quickly.
3- It isn't
a new virus. The virus has likely been infecting people for centuries, even
millennia. But for a long time, doctors missed the cases.
4- Mpox
is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks.
Severe cases occur more commonly among children and are related to the extent
of virus exposure, patient health status and nature of complications.
Underlying immune deficiencies may lead to worse outcomes.
5- It’s
found mostly in areas of Africa but has been seen in other areas of the world.
Mpox causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills, and a rash
develops within a few days. It usually goes away on its own.
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Prevention
Prevention
of mpox is by avoiding contact with infected animals and by reducing
person to person transmission by isolating infected people, with caregivers
following good infection containment practices.
Treatment:
Most people
get better on their own without treatment. Antiviral drugs can help and relieve
your symptoms.
- Tecovirimat:
sold under
the brand name Tpoxx among others, is an antiviral medication with activity
against orthopoxviruses such as smallpox and monkeypox. It is the first
antipoxviral drug approved in the United States.
- Cidofovir:
is in a class of medications called antivirals. It works by slowing the growth of CMV.
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Adults that are at high risk of monkeypox infection can be vaccinated with monkeypox vaccine and Jynneos. This vaccine is to be given only by or under the supervision of your doctor or other authorized health care professional.
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