Monkeypox Virus : Introduction, History, Symptoms

Monkeypox virus is an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family.

Monkeypox has made its presence felt in the United Kingdom.. The patient has a recent travel history from Nigeria, where they are suspected of having an infection, before travelling to the UK, According to the UK Health Security Agency (HSA), which confirmed the case.

Monkeypox :

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (virus transmitted from animals to humans) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in patients with smallpox, although it is less severe clinically. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health. Monkeypox occurs mainly in Central & West Africa, often near tropical rainforests, & is increasingly appearing in urban areas. Animal hosts include rodents & a range of non-human primates.

History :

Monkeypox virus was initially discovered in a colony of Cynomolgus monkeys kept at the State Serum Institute in Copenhagen in 1958. “Monkeypox was first introduced into the Rotterdam Zoo in 1966. The Congo Basin & West African clades of the Monkeypox virus are responsible for the disease. A Clades is a collections of organisms that have a common ancestor. Coronavirus, for example, are a clade within the coronaviridae family.

Symptoms of monkeypox :

• Monkeypox viral attack, the symptoms can be divided into 2 categories : invasion & skin rash.
• It usually takes 6 to 13 days for monkeypox to incubate.
• The patient has fever, severe headache, lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes), back pain, myalgia (muscle pain), and an acute asthenia during the invasion phase, within the first 5 days of illness (lack of energy) it happens.

Qns 1. What is Monkeypox Virus?

Ans 1. Monkeypox virus is a double-stranded DNA virus that causes monkey pox in humans & other animals. It belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus in the family Poxviridae. It is one of the human orthopoxviruses that includes variola, cowpox & vaccinia viruses.

Qns 2. What is Symptoms of Monkeypox Virus?

Ans 2. Monkeypox viral attack, the symptoms can be divided into 2 categories: invasion & skin rash.
It usually takes 6 to 13 days for monkeypox to incubate.
The patient has fever, severe headache, lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes), back pain, myalgia (muscle pain), and an acute asthenia during the invasion phase, within the first 5 days of illness (lack of energy) it happens.