What is the Monkeypox virus? Experts explain rare case in Texas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that it is investigating a case of monkey pox in an American who recently traveled from Nigeria to the United States. The patient is currently hospitalized in Dallas.

Monkey pox is a rare but potentially serious viral disease. The CDC said in a press release that it was working with the airline, state and local health authorities to contact passengers and others who may have come into contact with the patient on two flights: one from Lagos , in Nigeria, in Atlanta on July 8 (arrival July 9); the other from Atlanta to Dallas on July 9.

Monkeypox is not a virus that most people in the United States are familiar with, and social media is already buzzing about this case. Should we be worried? We’ve asked infectious disease experts to walk you through everything you need to know.

What exactly is monkey pox?

Monkey pox is a rare disease caused by the monkey pox virus, according to the CDC. It was first discovered in 1958, when two outbreaks of a smallpox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research.

The first human case of monkey pox was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, more cases have been reported in people in other countries in Central and West Africa.

Monkey pox virus is related to the smallpox virus, which causes smallpox. Monkey pox cases are rare overall, but are more common in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has more than 1,000 recorded cases per year, according to CDC data. The last documented cases of monkey pox in the United States date back to 2003, when a small outbreak resulted in 47 cases linked to a shipment of animals imported from Ghana.

What are the symptoms of monkey pox?

The signs of monkey pox are similar to those of smallpox. The disease begins with these symptoms, according to the CDC:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Back ache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Exhaustion

Within a few days, an infected person will develop a rash that usually starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. The bumps then go through different stages before falling:

• Macules (flat, discolored bumps)
• Papules (raised skin area)
• Vesicles (blisters)
• Pustules (small pumps containing pus)
• Crusts (dry and crispy bumps)

Overall, monkey pox lasts two to four weeks.

How do you get monkey pox? Is it contagious?

A person can contract monkey pox when they come in contact with the virus from an animal, person or material contaminated with the virus, according to the CDC. The virus can then enter the body through broken skin or the eyes, nose or mouth.

A person can also contract the virus from an animal by being bitten or scratched, preparing bushmeat, or having direct or indirect contact with bodily fluids or lesions from infected people. The main vector of monkeypox disease is unknown, although African rodents are suspected, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, principal investigator at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

“It’s not that contagious,” but it can spread from person to person, says William Schaffner, MD, infectious disease specialist and professor in the faculty of medicine at Vanderbilt University.

The CDC specifically notes that human-to-human transmission is believed to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets. These cannot travel more than a few meters and people must have “prolonged” face-to-face contact to spread the virus. “There have been epidemics in which human-to-human spread has occurred,” explains Dr Adalja. However, he adds, “the 2003 outbreak in the United States has been successfully contained.”

People who traveled with the infected passenger had to wear face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC notes. As a result, the risk of spreading monkey pox to people who have been in contact with this patient is believed to be low.

Should we be concerned about monkey pox?

Monkey pox can be serious, and in Africa, the CDC says the virus kills up to one in 10 people who are infected with it.

Experts we spoke to say monkey pox is “not a major concern” for the average American. “The virus is unlikely to spread in the United States unless it enters native rodent species,” says Dr Adalja.

However, he adds that this one-off case “highlights the continuing threat of infectious diseases and the need for a robust public health infrastructure to detect and contain these threats.”

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