As the cases of Monkeypox are witnessing a significant increase slowly, the European region is asking the population to be more cautious. To guide the general public by answering their queries related to Monkeypox, Dr Richard Pebody, who leads the High-threat Pathogen team at WHO/Europe, creates awareness about the outbreak.
Dr Pebody listed the reasons for concern in regards to Monkeypox as well as what people need to safeguard themselves.
He stated, “Monkeypox does not normally spread easily between people as it requires very close physical contact to allow the virus to enter the body. This could be through broken skin, the eyes, nose or mouth, & as a result of coming into contact with the lesions, bodily fluids or respiratory droplets of infected people. It can also be contracted via prolonged contact with the contaminated possessions of infected people, such as clothing, bedding and towels”.
The symptoms of Monkeypox become visible between 6 to 13 days after an individual gets in touch with an infected person. Rashing is the most common symptom of the outbreak, followed by fever, muscle aches, chills, exhaustion, headaches, a sore throat, or swollen, painful lymph nodes, as per the information shared by the Dr Pebody.
Briefing about the treatment process of Monkeypox, the Doctor then noted that after 2-3 weeks of treatment, the symptoms would fade.
“Some people may require antibiotics & analgesia to treat secondary infections and local pain. While a new vaccine has been approved for the prevention of Monkeypox, and the smallpox vaccine has also been demonstrated to provide protection, these vaccines are not widely available in the European Region”, he then underscores.
The medical practitioners discovered two types of Monkeypox which are -the West African type and the Congo Basin (Central African) type.
At least 47 countries worldwide currently report the Monkeypox virus, while rising cases have been recorded in the European states, therefore becoming a matter of concern.
Full information can be seen at https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/10-06-2022-monkeypox-q-a—what-you-need-to-know-about-monkeypox.