Earlier this August, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement that the Monkeypox virus is now a “global health emergency”. This comes after a rapid outbreak of mpox in Africa, with an estimated 14,000 confirmed cases and 524 deaths. What exactly is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox (also known as mpox) is a disease that causes severe rashes, fevers, headaches, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Monkeypox has been found in over 13 countries this year with 96% of cases being found in Africa. According to the CDC, there have been 32,063 confirmed cases and 58 deaths since 2022.
World Health Organizations director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus states:
“This is something that should concern us all … The potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying.”
Monkeypox has been semi-rampid since 2022, with the first ever recorded case being in 1970. The origins of the virus are still unknown, but many scientists speculate that rodents and primates native to Africa may be the cause.
In a recent BBC article, Madeline Barron, an associate from the American Society for Microbiology says:
“We need more investment in understanding the diseases and preventing that initial spill-over event from animals to humans from happening…If Covid has taught us anything it’s that the world is small and you need a coordinated effort to respond to diseases because diseases don’t know boundaries.”
Understanding how Monkey Pox is transmitted is also of major importance. Contracting Monkeypox isn’t as easy as other viruses such as covid. Monkeypox is usually spread through long periods of physical contact rather than being airborne.
“It could be contact with someone who has an infectious rash, such as lesions, scabs and bodily fluids” says Barron.
Although Monkeypox may seem alarming, researchers claim that there won’t be a need for another possible lockdown like the notorious one just four years ago.
Christiana Hutson, head of CDC’s pox virus branch, in a recent Today article states:
“This is not like COVID, where there’s nothing visible on somebody. You can actually see the lesions on somebody. Unless you’re directly touching them, you’re not going to get infected.”
Monkey Pox is not the next Covid-19, but is still a dangerous virus nonetheless. Proper precautions are still recommended to stay safe and healthy during times of all health emergencies.
