Find out more about

Monkey Pox?

L. VICTOR, MD
MONUSCO UNOEL1 Clinic, Dungu
 What is Monkey Pox?
Monkeypox is a disease caused
by the monkeypox virus (MPV).

It naturally infects certain

primates and rodents and was
first reported infecting humans
in the late 1960s in the DR
Congo in small numbers.

The largest known outbreak of

the disease was in 1996-97 in
the DR Congo.
 How can humans get infected?
Humans can be infected if they
come into close contact to
primates and rodents that have
the virus.

If people get bitten by an

infected animal or come in
contact with the animals rash,
blood or body fluids there is a
risk of contracting the disease.
 Can humans infect other humans?
Human to human transmission happens through
direct skin to skin contact with somebody
affected, exposure to respiratory droplets or
contaminated bedding and clothing.
Incubation period is from
one to three weeks so
infected people can present
with no symptoms. By the
time anyone will be
symptomatic, close contacts
are already infected.
 What are the symptoms?
Symptoms include fever for a few days to less
than a week before manifesting with fluid filled
skin lesions.

Skin lesions first appear as a rash that later on

becomes fluid filled. If starts off from the
extremities and spreads to the face and neck.
The rash can spread to the palms, soles, trunk
and genitalia.

If the lesions get to the eyes, it can cause tiny

scars in the external surface of the eye that can
lead to blindness. In fatal cases, the disease can
affect the brain and lungs and may even cause
other internal organs to fail.
 How long does the illness last?
Monkeypox also presents with lymph
node swelling in the head and neck
area.

The actual duration of the disease can

be as short as two weeks but usually
could reach up to a month.

The skin lesions can last as long as two

to three weeks after the initial fever.
 Is there treatment? Can it kill?
Death rate from the disease is
anywhere between 0-33%.

There is no specific treatment or

vaccine for the said disease. Most of
those who get affected have to be
isolated until the disease will resolve

X
on its own.

Previous smallpox vaccination offers

some protection but is not a
guarantee.
 Intravenous fluids are given to keep the affected hydrated.
Antipyretics are given for fever and malaise.

Appropriate antibiotics are given only if bacterial infections

appear in the skin after eruption of the vesicles.

If there are lesions in the eyes, the corneas can be scarred

and this could lead to blindness. In such case, a corneal
transplant will be needed.

Severe illness is observed more in the pediatric population,

particularly the very young or the immunocompromised.
 + + =
Commonly infected primates are rhesus macaques,
cynomolgus monkeys, langurs, baboons, chimpanzees,
orangutans, marmosets, gorillas, gibbons, owl-faced
monkeys and squirrel monkeys.

Rodent reservoirs include Gambian pouched rats,

dormice, striped mice and African rope and tree squirrels.

If these animals are used as food (bushmeat) there is a

high transmission of monkeypox from animals to humans.
 How can we avoid monkeypox?
Preventing the spread of the disease includes:
strict hand washing and enforcing a high level of
hygiene and sanitation to avoid contamination
avoid eating bushmeat
avoid having monkeys and rodents as pets

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 Monkeypox updates

Lately a Monkeypox outbreak was

reported in the Bangassou area of the
southern Mbomou Province of the Central
African Republic. It started in
December2015 with about 11 cases
reported up to now.

Health officials in the Bas-Uele District of

the Orientale Province of northern DR
Congo confirm that in February 2016, 51
cases and 2 deaths have occurred. All in all
in the Bombongolo health area, there
have been a recorded 195 cases and 8
deaths since January 2016.