Monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by the Monkeypox virus (MPV or MPXV) that can occur in certain animals, mostly rodents, and humans. It was first discovered among monkeys in 1958, with the first human case reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.
An outbreak of the disease has also been reported in the past in African countries including Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.
The first outbreak outside of Africa occurred in 2003 affecting people in the United States of America, which was linked to infected pet dogs.
The disease, however, resurfaced in 2022, with its first case reported in the United Kingdom on 7th May 2022, after a patient who recently visited Nigeria had shown symptoms.
With symptoms such as fever, headache, pains in the muscles, and tiredness, the disease can spread from handling bushmeat, an animal bite, contaminated objects, and close contact with infected people, penetrating through the eyes, nose, mouth, and open wounds.
Monkeypox, which can also be transmitted through sex and contact with infected animals such as monkeys, rats, squirrels, or contaminated objects, causes painful and itchy rashes usually visible on the face and other parts of the body.
Although there is no known cure for the disease, it is said to be non-fatal as its fatality rate is 1 to 10 in Africa. It also clears up within 14 to 21 days after infection as most people recover from it without treatment.
