Last Updated on 16/08/2024 by wccexam Desk
Ampox outbreak: The world had just come out of the danger of the Covid-19 virus some time ago when another virus has raised concerns. The name of this virus is Mpox, for which WHO has declared a global public health emergency. Cases of this virus were found only in Africa till now but now its cases are being found outside Africa as well. This is also a matter of concern for India because a case of Mpox has been found in Pakistan.
The infected Pakistani man had returned to the country from Saudi Arabia and the infection has been confirmed in him.
Ampox has affected 116 countries so far. The health agency has classified it as a ‘grade 3 emergency’, which means it requires immediate attention.
More than 27,000 cases have been reported and nearly 1,100 deaths have been recorded since January 2023. The virus has now spread from eastern Congo to Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Kenya, in addition to parts of Congo.
The public health agency has confirmed that this is the same strain of the virus that has been circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo since September 2023 and is known as the clade 1b subclade. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a country located in Central Africa which is the second largest country in Africa and the largest French-speaking country in the world. The new viral strain that emerged in September 2023 is the first time it has been found outside the DRC.
Sweden’s Public Health Agency issued a statement saying, ‘A person who came for treatment in Stockholm has been diagnosed with ampox caused by the Clade I variant. This is the first case treated outside the African continent due to Clade I.’
What did WHO say?
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news conference, ‘The emergence of a new group of ampox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries is very worrying. In addition to outbreaks of other ampox clades in the DRC and other countries in Africa, it is clear that an international action is needed to prevent these outbreaks and save lives.’
“The patient is believed to have become infected with the virus while travelling to an area of Africa where there is currently a risk of ampox clade I,” says epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen.
Now in such a situation, it is also important to know what is ampox, how it spreads and how it can be prevented. So let’s know about all this in detail.
What is Mpox?
Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the Orthopoxvirus genus. Mpox was previously known as monkeypox. The virus was first identified by scientists in 1958 when an outbreak of ‘pox-like’ disease occurred in monkeys. Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox.
How is ampox spread?
Ampox is a viral infection that spreads primarily through contact with an infected person or animal. Ampox can spread from person to person through direct contact with infectious skin or other lesions, such as the mouth or genitals. Most cases in central and western Africa have been reported in people who had contact with infected animals.
Experts say that this infection can also spread through the use of contaminated items like clothes or linen, common items used in tattoo shops, parlors or other public places. The virus can also spread from animals to humans through infected animals biting, scratching, eating or other activities with animals.
What are the symptoms of ampox?
People infected with ampox often develop a rash on the body that may appear on the arms, legs, chest, face, or around the mouth or genitals. These rashes eventually form pustules (large white or yellow bumps filled with pus) and crust over before healing. Other symptoms include fever, headache and muscle aches.
Lymph nodes may also swell as you try to fight the virus and in rare cases, the virus can be life-threatening. An infected person can infect many people from the time the initial symptom develops to the rash and then recovery.
How long do the symptoms last?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms of ampox start appearing within 21 days of exposure to the virus. The time between exposure to ampox and appearance of symptoms is 3 to 17 days. During this time, the person does not show any symptoms. But after the completion of this time, the effect of the virus starts appearing.
What is the treatment for ampox?
There is no specific treatment for ampox yet. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends giving medicines for its symptoms like pain and fever. The CDC says that if a patient has good immunity and does not have a skin disease, then he can recover without any treatment. He will just need care.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)