Context: Singapore recently reported the first ever case of the Monkeypox Virus, a rare virus similar to the human smallpox.

About Monkeypox Virus:

What is It?

• Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an orthopoxvirus that causes a viral disease with symptoms in humans similar, but milder, to those seen in smallpox patients.
• Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, whereas human monkeypox is endemic in villages of Central and West Africa.
• The occurrence of cases is often found close to tropical rainforests where there is frequent contact with infected animals.
• There is no evidence to date that person-to-person transmission alone can sustain monkeypox in the human population.

Transmission:

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis, i.e. a disease transmitted from animals to humans. It can be transmitted through contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals. Human infections have been documented through the handling of infected monkeys, Gambian giant rats and squirrels, with rodents being the most likely reservoir of the virus.

Treatment:

As of now, there is no specific treatment or vaccine available for monkeypox infection. The patient is generally treated in isolation by doctors.