Mpox, formerly referred to as monkeypox, is a viral disease similar to smallpox that causes fever, swollen lymph nodes and a lesion-like rash. The lesions may appear on your face, chest, arms, hands, feet or genitals or even inside your mouth.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared on August 14 that the increasing spread of mpox in Africa is a public health emergency of international concern, warning of the danger of the virus spilling across international borders.
This came a day after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency on the continent of Africa.
The WHO says there have been more than 15 600 cases of mpox and more than 500 deaths this year, which already exceeds last year’s figures.
Mpox, which was originally called monkeypox, is a zoonotic disease meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice-a-versa, as well as being transmitted from person to person.
Recent outbreaks have largely been limited to the Democratic Republic of the Congo but the disease has spread to some neighbouring countries, with laboratory-confirmed cases of the latest clade 1b strain having been reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Causes
Mpox is caused by the mpox virus, which is part of the Orthopoxvirus genus that includes the virus that causes smallpox.
Mpox spreads through direct contact with the mpox virus through blood, bodily fluids, skin or mucous lesions and respiratory droplets, that is droplets dispersed through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
It can be spread through prolonged face-to-face contact with an infected person and through contact with objects, fabrics or surfaces contaminated by the mpox virus, as well as through skin-to-skin contact, which includes hugging, massaging or kissing, and through oral, anal or vaginal sexual intercourse or touching the genitals or anus of a person with the mpox virus.
Pregnant women who become infected can pass the virus to their unborn baby through the placenta.
Transmission can also happen through bites and scratches from animals with an mpox infection and eating the meat of an animal with an mpox infection.
Symptoms
The symptoms of mpox are similar to those of smallpox. After contracting the mpox virus, it typically takes six to 13 days for symptoms to appear. However, this can range from five to about 21 days. Some people may only experience a rash.
The early symptoms can include fever, which is commonly the first symptom. Other symptoms include headache, muscle aches, backache, fatigue, chills and swollen lymph nodes, also known as lymphadenopathy.
After the fever develops, a rash usually appears one to three days later, although it can sometimes occur before the fever and other flu-like symptoms. The rash typically affects your face, which is the most common site. Other parts of the body where the rash may occur include the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, arms, legs, mouth, genitalia and eyes, including the conjunctivae and cornea.
The rash associated with mpox consists of lesions that evolve in the order of macules or flat discoloured lesions, papules or slightly raised lesions, vesicles or bumps with clear fluid then finally pustules or bumps with yellowish fluid. After the lesions dry and scab over, the scabs eventually fall off.
The symptoms of mpox generally last two to four weeks and go away without treatment.
Diagnosis
Doctors diagnose mpox using several methods such as laboratory testing of the fluid from lesions or dry scabs. These samples can be checked for the virus using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
A biopsy can be done as well. This involves removing a piece of skin tissue and testing it for the virus.
Blood tests are not usually recommended because the mpox virus stays in the blood for only a short time so a blood test may not give accurate results.
Treatment
There is currently no specific treatment for mpox. However, mpox is self-limiting, meaning that recovery is generally possible without treatment.
Some medications can be used to control an outbreak and prevent the disease from spreading. They can include smallpox vaccine and antiviral medication in animals.
Other treatments focus on managing symptoms using over-the-counter or prescription medications such as pain relievers, topical creams and oral antihistamines.
While some people do die as a result of the infection, the percentage of those who do is small, with deaths in the current outbreak being below five percent. Some people may be more susceptible to severe illness and complications. This includes people with weakened immune systems, children under eight years of age, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and individuals with a history of eczema.
Prevention
The WHO states that the smallpox vaccine is approximately 85 percent effective in preventing the development of mpox. If you received the smallpox vaccine as a child and contract the mpox virus, your symptoms may be mild.
Vaccination is recommended for people who have been exposed to mpox and those who are at an increased risk of contracting the virus.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has pledged to deliver 10 million Mpox vaccine doses by 2025, while Bavarian Nordic has reportedly joined forces with it to enhance vaccine manufacturing capabilities within Africa.
Regular and frequent hand washing or hand sanitising and avoiding direct contact with people who have mpox or objects that they suspect might have been used by an infected person are among the most important means of preventing infection.
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth is also recommended, as this could be a means of introducing the virus into your body if you have touched an infected surface or person.
Those who become infected need to protect others by self-isolating and avoiding contact with others.
