Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries were shocked by reports of the emergence of monkey pox or monkeypox in Singapore in May 2019. The reason is that this disease originally originated in the Central and West African regions and is very rarely found on the Asian continent. But you don't need to panic over the issue of the emergence of this disease. Come on, see some things you need to know about monkeypox or monkey pox.
Monkeypox Virus Causes and Transmission
Like other types of smallpox, monkeypox is caused by a viral infection. The monkeypox virus is transmitted by animals. You can get this virus if you come into contact with the blood and body fluids of an animal infected with the monkeypox virus. Animals carrying the virus that causes monkeypox include rats, monkeys and squirrels.
Apart from contact with body fluids, you can also get smallpox if you eat animal meat that is infected with the virus. It is this meat consumption that causes the emergence of monkey pox in Singapore. It is known that a woman from Nigeria contracted monkey pox as a result of eating the meat of a wild animal infected with the monkeypox virus in her home country before going to Singapore.
Apart from transmitting the virus from animals, smallpox can also be transmitted between humans. You can contract the monkeypox virus if you touch tissue, cloth or clothing of a patient who is exposed to this virus, for example, a cloth used to cover the patient's nose and mouth when sneezing. Even so, human-to-human transmission of the monkeypox virus is a very rare case.
Monkey Pox Symptoms and Signs
If you or someone close to you is infected with the monkeypox virus, symptoms will begin to appear after 6 to 16 days after the virus attacks the body. Generally, symptoms in monkeypox patients are divided into two periods of infection, namely the invasion period and the skin eruption period.
During the invasion period, your body will show signs, such as fever, lymphadenopathy or enlarged lymph nodes, muscle aches, severe headaches, and feeling weak. This period lasts one to three days or even more.
After the invasion period, you will find a rash on the body. The appearance of this rash belongs to the skin eruption period. The rash will first appear on the face and then spread to all parts of the body. This rash is the main feature of monkey pox that distinguishes it from other types of smallpox.
The rash on the skin initially appears as red spots like the common smallpox. Then these spots will be filled with clear liquid. These fluid-filled spots turn into pus-filled bumps which then harden like crusts. The process of changing the rash from red spots to crusts takes about ten days. The rash will completely disappear in about three weeks.
Even though cases of monkeypox in Indonesia have never happened, you still have to be careful, especially when traveling to countries that have experienced this case. To prevent monkey pox, there are ways you and your family can do it. Since the disease is spread by contact with animals, you can avoid close contact with wild animals carrying the virus. Apart from that, you can also ensure that the animal meat you consume has been thoroughly cooked.
That's what you and your family need to know about monkeypox or monkey pox. If you and your family experience some of the symptoms of monkeypox after coming into contact with wild animals, immediately go to the hospital to get the right treatment. #LiveExcellently