On July 23 of this year, the WHO (World Health Organisation) Director-General declared the escalating global monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
According to the organisation, the "vast majority of reported cases are in the WHO European Region" as health experts work closely together in a bid to "address the outbreak with the required urgency."
According to Gov.uk, up to 1 August 2022 there were 2,672 confirmed and 87 highly probable monkeypox cases in the UK: 2,759 in total. Of these, 65 were in Scotland, 24 were in Northern Ireland, 32 were in Wales and 2,638 were in England.
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So what signs and symptoms should you be looking out for and what else do you need to be aware of? Here's everything you need to know.
What is Monkeypox?
According to the WHO, "Monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus that causes a disease with symptoms similar, but less severe, to smallpox. While smallpox was eradicated in 1980, monkeypox continues to occur in countries of central and west Africa. Two distinct clade are identified: the west African clade and the Congo Basin clade, also known as the central African clade.
"Monkeypox is a zoonosis: a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans. Cases are often found close to tropical rainforests where there are animals that carry the virus. Evidence of monkeypox virus infection has been found in animals including squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, different species of monkeys and others."
Monkeypox signs and symptoms
The WHO says that the incubation period, which is the time between infection to onset of symptoms, is anywhere from six to 13 days. However it can appear as easily as five days and may not even show up for 21 days.
If you get infected with monkeypox, it usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear, the NHS says.
The first symptoms of monkeypox include:
- A high temperature
- A headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen glands
- Shivering (chills)
- Exhaustion
How do you catch monkeypox?
Monkeypox can be caught from infected wild animals in parts of west and central Africa. It's thought to be spread by rodents, such as rats, mice and squirrels, the NHS says.
You can catch monkeypox from an infected animal if you're bitten or you touch its blood, body fluids, spots, blisters or scabs. It may also be possible to catch monkeypox by eating meat from an infected animal that has not been cooked thoroughly, or by touching other products from infected animals (such as animal skin or fur).
It's very uncommon to get monkeypox from a person with the infection because it does not spread easily between people.
But it can be spread through:
- Touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the monkeypox rash
- Touching monkeypox skin blisters or scabs
- The coughs or sneezes of a person with the monkeypox rash
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