Monkey pox, a viral infection, has become a widely searched topic on google after the outbreak of the disease was reported in some European countries.
Reports indicate that a total of 160 cases have been confirmed across the world and there is fear that the disease might end up like CoronaVirus.
Cases of the infection have been reported in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and even in the US.
According to the Center for Disease Control,(CDC) members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) are at a greater risk of getting the infection although anyone can get the disease. It however does not mean that monkey pox is sexually transmitted
“Some groups may have a greater chance of exposure right now, but by no means is the current risk of exposure to monkey pox exclusively to the gay and bisexual community in the US. Anyone, anyone, can develop [and] spread monkey pox infection, but … many of those affected in the current global outbreak identified as gay and bisexual men” the chief medical officer for CDC’s HIV division Dr. John Brooks said.
CDC says that the disease can be transmitted to humans from animals through bites, scratches and while preparing meat from wild animals.
It can also spread from one person to another through exchange of large respiratory droplets because of prolonged face to face contact.
Aside from that, the disease can be transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, the lesions that form during an infection, or contaminated items like clothing or bedding.
According to WHO officials, monkey pox is likely being spread during sexual activities through exposure to rashes and lesions.
“Many diseases can be spread through sexual contact. You can get a cough or a cold through sexual contact, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a sexually transmitted disease,”
Symptoms of monkey pox develop within 5-21days after one is infected. They include flu-like symptoms.
“fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion, which can last a day or two. A rash often follows one to three days after the fever, progressing from red areas to small bumps on the skin. Those can then turn into blisters that may fill with whitish fluid,” NBC news reported.
The rashes are similar to the chicken pox ones.
RELATED STORY:“I Pay To Urinate” Man Who Had 3 Unsuccessful Kidney Transplants, 3 Months To Live Opens Up
