We collect cookies to analyze our website traffic and performance; we never collect any personal data. Cookie Policy
Accept
NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • Trending
  • New York
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
  • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Art
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: What Is Monkeypox?
Share
Font ResizerAa
NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • New York
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
  • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Art
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Follow US
NEW YORK DAWN™ > Blog > Health > What Is Monkeypox?
What Is Monkeypox?
Health

What Is Monkeypox?

Last updated: May 20, 2022 11:19 pm
Editorial Board Published May 20, 2022
Share
SHARE
20xp monkeypox explainer 01 facebookJumbo

The rare monkeypox virus, usually confined mostly to Central and West Africa, has spread in unusual ways this year, and among populations that have not been vulnerable in the past.

But while the transmissions have created some alarm among officials and infectious disease experts, and while a Covid-weary world is on high alert for new outbreaks, there are several reasons monkeypox is not being treated with the same level of concern as the coronavirus.

Here’s what to know about monkeypox and the risks it poses.

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a virus endemic in parts of Central and West Africa. It is a more benign version of smallpox.

It was discovered in 1958, after outbreaks occurred in monkeys kept for research, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What are the symptoms?

Monkeypox creates a rash that starts with flat red marks that become raised and filled with pus. Infected people will also have a fever and body aches.

Symptoms typically appear in six to 13 days but can take as long as three weeks after exposure. They can last for two to four weeks, with severe cases occurring more commonly among children, according to the World Health Organization.

The C.D.C. says there is “no proven, safe treatment” for monkeypox but the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of smallpox vaccines and antiviral treatments to control outbreaks.

How infectious is it?

Typically it does not lead to major outbreaks — in most years there are just a handful of cases outside Africa, if any. The most severe outbreak in the United States came in 2003, when dozens of cases were linked to exposure to infected prairie dogs and other pets. It was the first time there had been a monkeypox outbreak outside of Africa, according to the World Health Organization.

Within Africa, 11 countries have reported cases since 1970, when the first human case was identified in a 9-year-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria has experienced a large outbreak, with more than 500 suspected cases and 200 confirmed cases since 2017, the W.H.O. said.

The virus can spread via body fluids, skin contact and respiratory droplets. The majority of cases this year have been in young men, many of whom self-identified as men who have sex with men.

“Most cases presented with lesions on the genitalia or peri-genital area, indicating that transmission likely occurs during close physical contact during sexual activities,” the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said on Friday.

How many cases have there been this year, and where have they been?

There have been 38 cases worldwide this year as of Thursday, including 37 with no history of travel to endemic countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Britain reported an additional 11 cases on Friday.

In the United States, the first case of 2022 was diagnosed in Massachusetts on Wednesday. The man had recently traveled to Canada, which has had two cases this year.

New York City health authorities said on Friday that they had tested two patients who were under investigation for possible monkeypox.

“One case has been ruled out and another has been identified as positive for Orthopoxvirus, the family of viruses to which monkeypox belongs,” the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said on Twitter. Confirmation for monkeypox was pending testing by the C.D.C., it said.

Europe has been hit much harder. As of Thursday, Portugal had reported 17 cases, Spain has had seven, Belgium has had two, and France, Italy and Sweden have each had one.

Britain had reported nine cases as of Thursday, but Sajid Javid, Britain’s health secretary, said on Friday that the number had risen to 20. The W.H.O. said on Thursday that the country’s infections appeared to be locally acquired, but “the extent of local transmission is unclear at this stage and there is the possibility of identification of further cases.”

None of the infected people have died, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

How is the current outbreak different?

This is the first time that chains of transmission were reported in Europe without links to West or Central Africa, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. The agency also said this year’s cases included the first that have been reported among men who have sex with men.

Should I be worried?

The likelihood of the virus being spread during sexual contact is high, but the risk of transmission from other forms of close contact is low, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said.

The symptoms are typically mild, and most people recover within weeks, but the virus has had a fatality rate of about 3.3 percent in Nigeria, with children, young adults and immunocompromised people most susceptible.

You Might Also Like

Scientists practice deep-learning fashions to scrutinize biopsies like a human pathologist

Hidden physique fats linked to quicker coronary heart growing older

How a present card may assist velocity up Alzheimer’s medical analysis

Media give attention to hardship for disabled athletes can reinforce destructive stereotypes

Open-label Part II trial reviews early motor milestones with risdiplam

TAGGED:Centers for Disease Control and PreventionDisease RatesEuropean Center for Disease Prevention and ControlMonkeypoxThe Washington MailWorld Health Organization
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print

Follow US

Find US on Social Medias
FacebookLike
TwitterFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TelegramFollow
Popular News
A ‘Malicious program’ method might allow growth of latest antimalarial medicine
Health

A ‘Malicious program’ method might allow growth of latest antimalarial medicine

Editorial Board March 5, 2025
EPA to eradicate money-saving Power Star equipment program
Pirates in Lengthy Seaside? Go swashbuckling at this campy, interactive present aboard a tall ship
Can Prada-Kolhapuri row pave method for equitable engagement in vogue?
Former Yankee Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son died of asphyxiation on household trip in Costa Rica: report

You Might Also Like

How—and when—emotional responses to music affect reminiscence
Health

How—and when—emotional responses to music affect reminiscence

August 23, 2025
Why shedding pounds or reducing alcohol is not all the time finest after sickness strikes
Health

Why shedding pounds or reducing alcohol is not all the time finest after sickness strikes

August 23, 2025
Commodifying childhood: NZ kids see advertising and marketing for unhealthy merchandise 76 occasions a day
Health

Commodifying childhood: NZ kids see advertising and marketing for unhealthy merchandise 76 occasions a day

August 23, 2025
Ought to I break up with my GP? 4 indicators that it might be time
Health

Ought to I break up with my GP? 4 indicators that it might be time

August 23, 2025

Categories

  • Health
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
  • World
  • Art

About US

New York Dawn is a proud and integral publication of the Enspirers News Group, embodying the values of journalistic integrity and excellence.
Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Term of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
© 2024 New York Dawn. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?