MONKEY POX TRANSMISSION SKIN

New cases are recorded daily, with additional countries and regions reporting their first cases and already affected countries observing a continued rise in infections.Īs with most infections, other factors, such as the amount of viral exposure, type of contact and individual immune response, play a role in whether an infection takes hold.

The virus itself has no regard for age, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.Īnyone who comes into direct contact with the monkeypox virus is at risk of being infected. While monkeypox is spreading primarily among MSM, this does not mean that the virus will remain confined to this group or that it won’t jump to other social networks. The most common settings for transmission are within households or health care settings.īecause of sustained transmission within the community of men who have sex with men, they are considered an at-risk group, and targeted recommendations can help allocate resources and limit transmission. Anyone who has prolonged, close contact with an infected person is at risk, including partners, parents, children or siblings, among others. Who Is At Risk Of Getting Monkeypox?įor most people, the risk of getting monkeypox is currently low. But it is not yet known how asymptomatic individuals may be contributing to spread or how many asymptomatic cases may be undetected so far. Asymptomatic infections are more likely to go undiagnosed and unreported than those with symptoms.

MONKEY POX TRANSMISSION SKIN

While most people do develop skin lesions, many reported having only a single papule that was often obscured inside a mucosal area, such as inside the mouth, throat or rectum, making it easier to miss.Ī number of people reported no symptoms at all. Most patients reported mild symptoms without fever or swollen lymph nodes, symptoms that typically appear before a skin rash is visible. Second, the way symptoms are appearing may facilitate spread among people who don’t yet know they are infected. Some superspreading events associated with air travel, international gatherings and multiple-partner sexual encounters contributed to early transmission of the virus. Young men, mostly ages 18 to 44, account for the majority of cases, and over 97% identify as men who have sex with men (MSM).

In the current outbreak, global spread has been rapid. Monkeypox is endemic to specific areas in central and western Africa, where cases occur sporadically and outbreaks are usually contained and quickly burn out. Understanding what’s currently known about how monkeypox is transmitted and ways to protect yourself and others from infection can help reduce the spread of the virus.įirst, the sheer scope of the current epidemic, with over 25,000 cases worldwide as of early August and in countries where the virus has never appeared, sets it apart from previous outbreaks.

I am an epidemiologist who studies emerging infectious diseases that cause outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics. Other symptoms usually include fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and headache. They can last for several weeks and be a source of virus before they are fully healed. These lesions may also appear inside the mouth, eyes and other parts of the body that produce mucus. Skin lesions traditionally appear soon after infection as a rash – small pimples or round papules on the face, hands or genitalia. The monkeypox virus typically spreads through direct contact with respiratory secretions, such as mucus or saliva, or skin lesions. Now, many researchers are left scratching their heads as to why monkeypox seems to be propagating so readily and unconventionally in the current global outbreak. Monkeypox is caused by a virus that, despite periodic outbreaks, is not thought to spread easily from person to person and historically has not spurred long chains of transmission within communities.

Monkey pox transmission