Explained: What is monkeypox, how does it spread and how to be safe?

Monkeypox virus that has crossed over 16000 cases worldwide is now a declared public health emergency of international concern like Covid19 and polio Four cases of the infectious disease have also been confirmed in India including New DelhiMonkeypox is a rare viral disease related to smallpox and cowpox The virus generally causes pimples or blisterlike lesions and flulike symptoms such as feverThe lesions typically concentrate on the arms and legs but in the latest outbreak theyre showing up more frequently on the genital and perianal area It is transmitted from infected animals to humans via indirect or direct contactHumantohuman transmission can occur through direct contact with infectious skin or lesions including facetoface skintoskin and respiratory droplets Transmission can also occur from contaminated materials such as linens bedding electronics and clothing that have infectious skin particlesTouching objects that have been contaminated by monkeypox lesions or fluids may also increase the risk of spreading We should all know about the transmission root of this virus It spreads by close contact skin to skin contact and droplet infection So we have to be careful about all these factors Dr Satish Koul Director of Internal Medicine at Fortis Memorial Research Institute said The disease has also been reported among three children two in the US and one in the NetherlandsAlso read Mumbai Do you feel you might have monkeypox Head to KasturbaMonkeypox even though is not a sexually transmitted disease in the latest outbreak it has mostly been spreading among men who have sex with men according to Centers for Disease Control CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky It is usually considered mild and most people recover within four weeks without treatment However the disease is frequently uncomfortable or painful and can sometimes lead to complications that require close medical followupIf one has fever after travelling recently or you have come in contact with somebody who has manifested symptoms of monkeypox you should immediately seek consultations from your physician As of now prevention is the cure Koul saidAccording to Dr Manisha Arora Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute avoid coming in contact with an ill person The primary measures to control the outbreak are contact tracing and isolation It is also important that people confirmed with monkeypox disclose their contacts so they can be alerted to monitor for symptoms Always wash hands properly and use an effective alcoholbased sanitiser Never avoid using masks Arora saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever