Monkeypox: More Facts You Need to Know

Since early May 2022, more than 200 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in at least 20 countries around the world. Most cases involve young men, self-identifying as men who have sex with men (MSM).

In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3–6%, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated. There have been no reported deaths so far in this latest outbreak. No cases have been reported in the country to date, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

How it spreads

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. It is spread from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.

Symptoms

Monkeypox symptoms are milder but very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Monkeypox begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion. Within 1 to 3 days (sometimes longer) after the patient develops a fever, a rash appears, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body. Lesions develop and progress through several stages ending in scabs that ultimately fall off.  Monkeypox infection typically lasts for 2−4 weeks.

No treatment, vaccine not yet readily available

Currently, there is no proven, safe treatment for monkeypox, according to the CDC. A vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of monkeypox, but is not yet widely available.

The DOH said the country does not have a stockpile of vaccines for monkeypox but the government has contacts with the CDC and other agencies in case procurement would be needed.

Prevention

You can take steps to prevent infection with monkeypox:

• Avoid contact with symptomatic individuals.
• Practice good hand hygiene by washing hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Use personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients.

Consult your doctor for more information on monkeypox.

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References:

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/epidemiological-update-monkeypox-multi-country-outbreak. Accessed 1 June 2022
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1175321. Accessed 1June 2022
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html. Accessed 1 June 2022
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/prevention.html. Accessed 1June 2022
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox. Accessed 1June 2022
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1175252. Accessed 1June 2022