MonkeyPox Disease Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
The cause of monkeypox is infection with the Monkeypox Virus (MPXV). This disease is zoonotic or is mediated by animals, such as monkeys, rats, and squirrels.
Transmission from animals to humans can be through bites or scratches, consuming meat that is not thoroughly cooked, or direct contact with infected animal kennels.
Meanwhile, the spread of monkeypox between humans can be through direct skin-to-skin contact, body fluids, droplets when the patient coughs or sneezes, or when touching a surface that has been contaminated with the virus.
Monkeypox ( Monkeypox )
| Medical specialist | Skin, children, internal medicine |
| Symptom | Fever, headache, weakness, skin rash in the form of a lump filled with clear fluid or pus, enlarged lymph nodes |
| risk factor | Consumption of raw meat, animal bites, close contact with sick animals or sick people |
| How to diagnose | Medical interview, physical examination, supporting examination (PCR and skin biopsy) |
| Treatment | Symptomatic therapy, antivirals, isolation, smallpox vaccination |
| Drug | Analgesics (paracetamol), cidofovir, brincidofovir, tecovirimat |
| Complications | Secondary bacterial skin infections, bronchopneumonia, ARDS, encephalitis, sepsis |
| When to see a doctor? | Immediately if symptoms appear suspected of monkeypox, history of traveling to an area where there is an outbreak, close contact with sufferers or animals sick with monkeypox |
Symptom
In humans, the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox, although milder. A person infected with monkeypox will generally show symptoms 5-21 days after being exposed to the virus.
However, in some cases, the incubation period can be shorter, which is around 7-14 days.
Symptoms of chickenpox generally begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. The condition that distinguishes it from smallpox is that in monkeypox, swelling of the lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) is found.
Based on the WHO, the characteristics of monkeypox are divided into two periods of infection, namely:
1. Period of Invasion
The invasion period starts from 0-5 days after exposure to the virus. This period is marked by:
- Fever
- Terrible headache
- Lymphadenopathy, which is swelling of the lymph nodes
- back pain
- Low back pain
- Loss of energy, feeling weak and tired
2. Period of Skin Eruption
The skin eruption period occurs 1-3 days after the onset of fever. In this period, the first sign is the appearance of a rash on the face, hands and feet, then it spreads all over the body.
This rash can also be found on the oral mucosa, intimate area, and eyes.
The rash that appears later will change slowly. At first, skin rashes that appear are only redness (macules), then turn into prominent lesions or sores (papules), then become elastic filled with clear fluid (vesicles) and pus (pustules).
Within a few days, the vesicles and pustules will dry up to form scabs or crusts.
Reason
Monkeypox is a type of disease that is zoonotic or animal-mediated. In this case, the animals that can be the medium for its spread are monkeys, rats, squirrels, and other types of rodents as well as prairie dogs.
From infected animals, the virus spreads to other animals and humans by direct contact through blood, body fluids, wounds on the skin and mucosa, or air contaminated with splashes of the animal’s saliva.
So far, there has been no strong evidence that this virus can spread directly from human to human.
Risk Factors
Everyone can be susceptible to monkeypox infection. However, there are groups that are more at risk of being infected with the monkeypox virus, namely:
- People who have close contact with wild animals, both living and dead
- Close contact with sick animals without using personal protective equipment
- People who eat raw or undercooked meat
- People who treat monkeypox sufferers
- People doing research on monkeypox virus in the laboratory
- Groups that have low immune systems, for example children, the elderly, immunocompromised
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of monkeypox is established on the basis of medical interviews and clinical examinations as well as supporting examinations.
1. Medical Interview
Through medical interviews, it will usually be known if there is a history of contact with animals suffering from monkeypox or wild animals whose health status is unknown.
Apart from that, fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, and weakness are also frequent complaints.
2. Physical Examination
Besides being based on contact with animals and patient complaints, the diagnosis is also based on physical examination.
On physical examination, you can find reddish and elastic spots on the skin which generally appear first on the face, then spread to other parts of the body and you can feel enlarged lymph nodes.
Because the clinical appearance of monkeypox can resemble other types of infections – such as smallpox, and chickenpox, the diagnosis must also go through additional examinations.
Investigations that can be carried out include:
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Examination
- Skin biopsy which takes a sample of skin tissue, placed in a sterile container, then examined in the laboratory
The swab preparations from suppleness, wounds or patches on the patient’s skin are placed in a sterile container and then examined in the laboratory. Several types of examination were then carried out on this preparation to determine whether the infection was monkeypox or other infections.
Treatment
Until now there is no specific therapy for monkey pox. This condition will generally heal on its own, although symptoms can last 2-4 weeks.
Although there is no specific therapy, monkeypox sufferers are still given supportive drugs to help reduce the symptoms that appear.
Special treatment in a hospital may be needed if the symptoms appear severe.
In addition, sufferers are also advised to self-quarantine for a while to prevent transmission to those around them.
Also make sure the patient gets enough rest, eats nutritious food, and meets daily fluid needs.
Although there is no specific drug for monkeypox , some antivirals are thought to be useful in helping the recovery process.
Some antivirals that are commonly used in monkeypox therapy include:
1.Cidofovir
There is no data available regarding the effectiveness of the antiviral cidofovir in treating monkeypox infection.
However, cidofovir has been shown to fight poxviruses in in vitro studies and animal studies.
Research in humans is still very limited, considering that this drug has serious side effects such as nephrotoxicity.
2. Brindofovir
Similar to cidofovir, brincidofovir has also been shown to be effective against poxviruses infections in in vitro studies and animal trials.
The use of the drug bricidofovir is thought to be safer than cidofovir, because it does not cause nephrotoxic problems.
3. Tecovirimat
This antivirus is actually used to treat smallpox ( smallpox ). In several studies involving animals, tecovirimat has shown its effectiveness in overcoming orthopoxvirus infections.
In studies involving humans, this drug is relatively safe and does not show serious side effects.
However, the use of tecovirimat is still limited in several countries and requires supervision for further research purposes.
Prevention
One effective way to prevent the spread of the monkeypox virus is smallpox vaccination.
This vaccine provides up to 85 percent protection against monkeypox. Unfortunately, because the smallpox case itself has been declared extinct, the availability of this vaccine is very limited and not all countries have it.
Therefore, self-protection efforts with other methods must be a concern. Protection measures that can be taken include:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially before cooking food, before eating, before and after treating wounds, or before touching your face
- Avoid contact with wild animals and rodents such as rats, monkeys, squirrels or animals whose health status is unknown
- Avoid keeping animals whose health status is unknown
- Avoid direct contact with equipment or animal cages that are suspected of being sick
- Do not consume wild animal meat that is raw or not thoroughly cooked
- Avoid direct contact with people infected with monkeypox, including not using items that are suspected to have been contaminated by sufferers
- Use personal protective equipment when caring for sick people or sick animals
Complications
Even though they generally recover completely, dangerous complications of monkeypox can occur in some cases, especially in infants, children, and patients with low immunity and malnutrition.
Complications of monkeypox that can arise are:
- On the skin, scars or scar tissue can be found as well as secondary bacterial infections
- In the respiratory system, complications can range from bronchopneumonia to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
- In the eyes, you can find keratitis, corneal ulcers, and even blindness
- In the nervous system, a complication that can occur is encephalitis
- Sepsis
- Death
When to See a Doctor?
Check with your doctor immediately if you experience various symptoms that are suspected of monkeypox. In addition, if you have close contact with an infected person or have traveled to an area where there is an outbreak of monkeypox, you should consult a doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question: Can Monkey Pox Cause Death?
Ans: Persons with immune suppression due to medication or medical conditions are at higher risk of serious illness and death due to mpox. People living with HIV that is not well-controlled or treated more often develop severe disease.
2. Question: What happens if you get monkeypox?
Ans: Mpox (monkeypox) is usually a self-limited viral infection with a rash that may be painful. Most people recover on their own after a few weeks. In some cases, people can become very sick and could die.
3. Question: How Long monkeypox Will It Take to Recover?
Ans: Most people with mpox recover fully within 2 to 4 weeks without the need for medical treatment.