What is monkey pox?
Smallpox is a rare viral infection that mainly occurs in tropical areas of West and Central Africa.
How can one get sick from monkey pox?
Monkey pox can be transmitted through the respiratory tract by inhaling large droplets and by contact with infected skin lesions or contaminated materials (eg bed linen or towels used by a patient).
Transmission is also recorded through contact with wild animals, usually primates and rodents, such as rats, mice and squirrels, or even with previously infected pets.
It can rarely be transmitted by eating meat from an infected animal that has not been adequately cooked or by contact with the skin or hair of an infected animal.
What should I do to avoid getting sick?
It is required to observe the basic personal hygiene measures.
wash your hands with soap and water regularly or use an alcoholic antiseptic
you only eat meat if it has been cooked enough
do not approach wild animals, including dead animals
do not come into close contact or share clothing with people who do not feel well and have skin lesions
What are the symptoms of an illness?
Once a person becomes infected with the smallpox virus, it takes 5 to 21 days for the first symptoms to appear (usually 6 to 13 days).
These can be:
Fever
Headache
Myalgias
Lumbago
Swollen lymph nodes (characteristic point of differential diagnosis from smallpox)
Shudder
Payment of forces
Rash (usually occurs 1 to 3 days after the onset of fever). The skin rash is often preceded by lesions on the mucous membranes, such as the mouth. The rash is initially located on the head and face and then spreads to other parts of the body including the palms and soles. It first appears in the form of spots and bumps that develop into small blisters, blisters and then crusts that eventually subside.) This rash is sometimes confused with the varicella rash.
How dangerous is this disease?
In most patients the symptoms subside in 2 to 4 weeks.
When to contact your doctor?
If you have a blistering rash and:
you have returned from West or Central Africa in the last 3 weeks
have you come in contact with someone who has had monkey pox in the last 3 weeks
have you been in contact with someone who has had skin lesions in the last 3 weeks
What is the treatment for monkey pox?
The treatment of the disease aims to improve the symptoms. The course is usually mild and most patients recover in 2 to 4 weeks.
You often need to stay in the hospital in order to treat the symptoms but also to prevent the transmission of the disease.
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