Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Apr 24, 2025

Monkeypox Explained: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment | Hot Mic with Nidhi Razdan

The world is still reeling from Covid and now we have a new health crisis to deal with. Over the weekend, the World Health Organisation, or the WHO, declared Monkeypox a global health emergency.
Hi,

this is Hot Mic and I'm Nidhi Razdan. The world is still reeling from Covid and now we have a new health crisis to deal with. Over the weekend, the World Health Organization or the WHO, declared Monkeypox a global health emergency. They say more than 16,000 cases have been confirmed so far in 75 countries. The last global health emergency was Covid and here we are. There are four known Monkeypox cases in India. Several states have now been deploying strict screening protocols and the center has asked officials to remain on alert. According to the WHO, Monkeypox is a virus transmitted from humans to animals with symptoms very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients.

Although, it is clinically less severe.Thankfully, fatality rates in this are low. The name ‘Monkeypox' originates from the initial discovery of the virus in monkeys in a Danish laboratory in 1958. The first human case was identified in a child in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. The Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by very close contact with lesions, bodily fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.

The incubation period of Monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days, but can range from 5 to 21 days.The WHO goes on to say that uncertainty remains on the natural history of the Monkeypox virus, and further studies are needed to identify the exact reservoirs and how virus circulation is maintained in nature. So what are the symptoms? Now, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the main symptoms are a fever headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and importantly, a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face,inside the mouth and on other parts of the body, like your hands, your feet, your chest, etc.

The rash goes through different stages before it heals completely. The illness typically lasts anywhere from two to four weeks. Sometimes people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash. Now Monkeypox spreads in different ways.It can spread from person to person,as we said, through direct contact with the rash itself, the scabs, the respiratory secretions during prolonged face to face contact or during intimate physical contact like kissing, cuddling or sex. Now, touching items such as clothing or linens that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids can also infect you. And pregnant women can spread the virus to the fetus also, through the placenta. This is what experts are saying. It's also possible for people to get Monkeypox from infected animals, either by being bitten by them or scratched by them, or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal. Now, Monkeypox isn't actually considered a sexually transmitted disease, but most people who have gotten it have been gay or bisexual men.

However, as the WHO points out, the risk of Monkeypox is not limited to men who have sex with men. Anyone who has close contact with someone who is infectious is at risk, and stigmatizing people because of a disease is never okay. Anyone can get or pass on Monkeypox regardless of their sexuality.

Speaking to NDTV, the chief scientist at the World Health Organization, Dr Soumya Swaminathan has said, that the outbreak of Monkeypox has been a wake up call and explained that since 1980 or so smallpox vaccination programs have been stopped, indicating that that may have helped the virus to steal a march on the world. The WHO website says that vaccines used during the smallpox eradication program also provide protection against Monkeypox. But newer vaccines have been developed as well, of which one has been approved for the prevention of Monkeypox Dr Swaminathan, however, indicated that using the smallpox vaccine for Monkeypox may be useful, though more laboratory data is required. She said today smallpox vaccines are second and third generation,but there are limited doses and several countries have been stockpiling these vaccines in case that is a smallpox outbreak. There is a Denmark-based company called Bavarian Nordic that has developed a vaccine for Monkeypox, but there isn't any efficacy data on that yet. Dr Soumya Swaminathan also said that Indian pharma companies like the Serum Institute of India can have a big role in bottling, marketing and distributing existing smallpox vaccines, if they were widely available. So what happens next in the fight against Monkeypox? Watch this space.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump administration moves to BAN essentially ALL artificial food dyes in the USA food supply at RFK Jr.'s direction
Woman slaps man at sports game and gets herself and husband beat up
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
Nightlife in the streets of Manchester
In God We Profit
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
UK Prison Officers Demand Electric Stun Guns Amid Safety Concerns
China, China, China!
Australian National Charged as Mercenary for Fighting in Ukraine
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
×