The monkeypox virus has been reported mostly from Central and West Africa and is a rare but dangerous infection similar to the now-eradicated smallpox virus.
According to the World Health Organization, monkeypox continues to appear sporadically but now spreading rapidly in Europe and North America.
The monkeypox has set off alarm bells in Europe and the United States.
The illness begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, chills, swollen lymph nodes—a symptom that smallpox does not have—and exhaustion. Up to three days after you have a fever, you may develop a rash on your face and body that progresses to crusty skin lesions.
People who may have symptoms of monkeypox, and those who have close contact with them, should contact their doctor if they have any unusual rashes or lesions.
Is there a vaccine? There is currently no treatment or vaccine for monkeypox virus infection. The outbreaks can be controlled since the smallpox vaccine has shown an efficacy of 85% in preventing monkeypox. However, following the global eradication of smallpox in 1980, production of the vaccine was discontinued and it is no longer accessible to the public.
