As WHO declares mpox outbreak an emergency, here's a look at the symptoms of the viral disease

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox (monkeypox) a health emergency on Thursday after 99,176 cases and 208 deaths have been reported across 116 countries since 2022.

In the Indian sub-continent, one case has been reported from Pakistan on Tuesday. A 34-year-old man who recently returned from Saudi Arabia tested positive for the virus in Peshawar.

The virus is transmitted from animals (squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, and different species of monkeys) to humans. The disease can also spread from humans to humans through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects, stated the WHO website.

Symptoms

According to WHO, the mpox virus is a disease with symptoms similar to but less similar than smallpox. Typically, patients develop symptoms such as fever, intense pain in head, back and muscle, an extensive rash, an intense lack of energy and swollen lymph nodes. If ignored, patients could develop painful lesions and the rashes can be filled with fluid and pus. The proportion of patients who die from the virus has varied between 0 and 11% in documented cases and has been higher among young children, WHO stated.

Diagnoses and treatment

To detect the presence of the virus, specimens are taken directly from the body rash - skin, fluid or crusts, or biopsy - where feasible. Antigen and antibody detection methods may not be useful and the virus can be detected through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, according to the health organisation.

The treatment of mpox patients is supportive dependent on the symptoms they develop. According to WHO, various therapeutics that may be effective against mpox are being developed and tested.

So the key is to prevent the spread of the virus. Close contact with infected people should be avoided. They must be attended wearing gloves and other personal protective equipment.

As mpox is primarily an animal-to-human transmission, it is necessary to avoid contact with sick or dead animals without proper care, and foods containing meat need to be properly cooked before eating.

The smallpox vaccine was shown to be 85% effective in preventing mpox. However, with the eradication of small pox, routine smallpox vaccination drives have been terminated, owing to which the current populations have become more susceptible to mpox.

There are three vaccines against mpox, although available in limited quantities, that some countries are recommending for vaccination of persons at risk, WHO stated.