On August 14, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) confirmed five cases of the Mpox virus in the country. In a press release, NPHIL said it has been informed of an outbreak of the virus in Africa and “will heighten its surveillance system, strengthen its outbreak preparedness plan, and will work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to activate measures and specific response mechanism to address any impending outbreak of the virus in Liberia.”
On the same day, the World Health Organization (WHO) also declared the outbreak of the virus as a public health emergency of international concern. The declaration, according to WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “came on the advice of an IHR Emergency Committee of independent experts who met earlier in the day to review data presented by experts from WHO and affected countries.”
With news of the Mpox outbreak, it is important to know some basic information about the virus.
In this explainer, we tell you what you need to know about the virus, its mode of transmission, and means of treatment, amongst others.
What is Mpox?
Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus, which was first discovered in monkeys used for research back in 1958, according to the WHO. The first reported human case of Mpox was a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970, according to the WHO.
There are two groups or clades of the virus that causes Mpox. They are Clades I and Clades II. According to Scientists, the natural reservoir of the virus is unknown – various small mammals such as squirrels and monkeys are susceptible reservoirs of the virus.
The natural reservoir of a virus means the specific environment or animal where an infectious pathogen naturally lives and reproduces or where it survives naturally. Please note that pathogens are tiny infectious organisms that cause diseases.
In the case of Mpox, the infectious pathogens that cause the disease were first found in Monkeys back in 1970, making Scientists conclude that monkeys might be the natural reservoir of Mpox.
Signs and Symptoms of Mpox
The Mpox virus causes signs and symptoms which usually begin within a week but can start from one to 21 days after a person is exposed to the virus. Symptoms will typically last two to four weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.
The incubation period is 3–17 days. During this time, a person who has been exposed or infected by the virus does not show symptoms or signs and may be feeling as though he/she is not infected.
However, after this period, people infected with Mpox will often get rashes on their hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genitals, including the penis, testicles, labia, vagina, and anus.
In addition to the signs, the symptoms of Mpox usually include fever, severe headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes or lesions. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Mpox symptoms start within 21 days of exposure to the virus. If you have flu-like symptoms, you will likely develop a rash 1–4 days later.
How Does Mpox Spread
Mpox spreads in different ways. The virus can spread from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluid, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact such as kissing, cuddling, or sex and touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
It’s also possible for people to get Mpox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by an infected animal. Also, preparing or eating the meat or using products from an infected animal.
Preventing Mpox
The CDC recommends avoiding skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like mpox. The MAYO Clinic also recommends avoiding handling clothes, sheets, blankets, or other materials that have been in contact with an infected animal or person as well as isolating people who have mpox from healthy people. It is also advisable for people to wash their hands well with soap and water after any contact with an infected person or animal.
The WHO states that most people with mpox recover within two to four weeks but made several recommendations to avoid the severity of the virus and infect others.
WHO advised that staying home or isolating, avoiding torching items in shared spaces, and use of salt water to rinse your mouth when experiencing signs of mpox are important things to do.
There are also several things that people are advised against doing including scratching sores caused by the rashes on the skin.
Vaccination is an important way of preventing or stopping the spread of mpox. However, people who are vaccinated should continue to avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with someone who has mpox.
Is there a Treatment for Mpox?
Currently, there is no definite treatment approved specifically for mpox virus infections. Healthcare providers provide early and supportive care for patients by taking care of the rash, managing pain, and preventing complications. This helps manage symptoms and avoid severity of the infection.
For most patients with mpox who have intact immune systems and don’t have a skin disease, supportive care, and pain control is the way to help them recover without medical treatment, according to the CDC.
Health experts suggest that taking mpox vaccine can help prevent infection. The vaccine should be given within 4 days of contact with someone who has mpox (or within up to 14 days if there are no symptoms), according to the WHO.
The WHO says several antivirals, such as tecovirimat, originally developed to treat smallpox have been used to treat mpox, clarifying that further studies are underway to find the definite treatment for the virus.
This report is produced with funding from the USAID Media Activity. The funder has No say in the editorial decisions leading to the production of this content
