Mpox (formally known as monkeypox) is a serious and infectious U.S.-borne disease that is spreading throughout South and Central Africa and many other neighboring countries. Mpox is in the same virus family that causes smallpox.
As of August 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern. However, the disease will not spread as badly throughout the U.S. due to vaccinations from the previous outbreak of Monkeypox.
Many people wonder,” Will Mpox cause another lockdown?” The answer is no. Since there was already an outbreak in 2022, there are many tools including vaccines that are able to control it.
Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe posted on X on August 20, “Mpox is not the new Covid, regardless of whether it’s clade I or clade II.”
Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, an infectious diseases specialist at Yale Medicine, has a similar belief. He said, “I think we need to be not exceedingly worried, but concerned.”
Mpox is split into two clades, clade I and clade II. Clade I is deadlier than clade II with ten percent of people who are infected dying. This is mainly found in Central Africa.
Symptoms to watch out for in clade I are high fever, severe headache, muscle pains and aches, and lymph nodes.
Clade II is not as deadly as clade I as 99 percent of people who get it survive. This is more likely to be found in West Africa.
Symptoms to watch out for in clade II are the same as clade I but far less severe. Clade II is less infectious than clade I and not nearly as deadly with less than one percent of people dying from it. This is common in the U.S.
The chances of a case of clade I appearing in the U.S. are very slim. Although it is making its way to Europe with its first case of clade I in Sweden as of August 15.
Mpox is also spreading increasingly to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Clade I Mpox has been reported in the DRC for over a decade…the current mpox outbreak is more widespread than any other outbreak in the DRC.”
On August 19, the Philippines reported a new case of Mpox. On the same day a case of clade II was detected in Pakistan and on August 22, Thailand reported their first case of clade I.
Mpox mainly spreads through close contact with an infected person. Transmission can occur during kissing, hugging, touching, and non-intimate face–to–face contact.
Mpox can also be spread through close contact with animals, for example, rodents. Any items or materials that were contaminated with the animal like bed sheets or clothes, could also spread the disease.
Ogbuagu explained how the disease is spread differently in Africa. He explained how Mpox is mostly spread in households and often among children.
According to the Cleveland clinic, it typically appears between several days to several weeks after the exposure. These symptoms include rash, fever, chills, fatigue, malaise, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
The flu-like symptoms often occur before the rash begins to form, although some people may only experience the rash. The rash is the most obvious symptom and goes through several different phases before it is healed.
The rash often begins with reddish sores which are usually painful or itchy. After a few days, they turn into firm, raised bumps which then become fluid filled blisters. They then turn into pustules which will eventually burst and become a scab.
These lesions usually begin on the face and then make their way to the arms, hands, legs, feet, and then to the rest of the body. They can also emerge around the genital and anus.
There is no specific treatment or Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antivirals that can cure Mpox. Healthy people can recover on their own with home treatment.
The CDC suggests some ways to prevent Mpox, these include; avoiding close contact with people who carry the disease, avoiding contact with animals that could carry Mpox, and getting two doses of the Mpox vaccine if you are at risk. The CDC said the vaccine protects against both clades and is recommended for those who have the risk of being exposed.
Mpox is a deadly disease that is spreading around the world. If we can prevent catching it, it will be much better for the world.