Rare Monkeypox Virus Detected In US For The First Time
Even as the world battle the deadly COVID-19 virus, cases of rare monkeypox have emerged from the US for the first time in 2022. Although this is not the first time when such a virus was detected in the country, some experts believe that it has efficacy fo leading to a another pandemic in the future. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the man who was diagnosed with the rare and potentially dangerous monkeypox in the US had recently travelled to Canada.
Earlier, several other countries including UK, Portugal and Spain had reported cases associated with the monkeypox virus. So, what is monkeypox? what causes this infection and who all are at risk of catching it? let's understand everything in this article.
To begin with, monkeypox viruses belong to the same family as smallpox. It is a rare, usually leading to mild symptoms, infection which has its origin in Africa. Monkeypox was first discovered by researchers back in the year 1958, however, the first human cases of the virus were only reported in the year 1970. According to the studies, monkeypox is a close relative of smallpox, that usually leads to the formation of red blisters, skin rashes, etc. Scroll down to know the symptoms of this virus.
When one catches the monkeypox virus infection, it usually takes him/her at least five to 21 days to develop the symptoms. Some of the symptoms which are associated with monkeypox are -
Some of the other symptoms that also appear when someone catches a monkeypox virus infection are blisters with some fluid on the skin, red coloured rashes, etc.
Unlike, other viruses, monkeypox can be caught from a bite by an infected animal, or by touching its blood, body fluids or fur. Some of the carriers of this virus are rodents, rats, mice and squirrels. It is also possible to catch this infectious virus when someone eats the meat of an infected animal which is not cooked properly.
Unlike other viruses which are present in nature, monkeypox doesn't spread through human touch. However, the virus travels from one person to another through used towels, clothing, bedding, etc.
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