Top 10 Things You Should Know About Mpox

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, that the increasing spread of Mpox in Africa is a global health emergency and warned that the virus might ultimately spread across international borders.

According to AFP, the announcement by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came after a meeting of the U.N. health agency’s emergency committee.

WHO said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceed last year’s figures. Following the latest development on the disease, here are 10 things to know about Mpox according to nursingcenter.com:

1. Mpox (also known as monkeypox and first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in monkeys) is a close relative of smallpox.

2. Transmission of Mpox occurs from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials, such as bedding.

3. The incubation period of Mpox can range from five to 21 days, and it is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms typically lasting from two to four weeks.

4. Mpox presents with fever, a characteristic rash, and usually swollen lymph nodes.

5. Clinicians should be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with Mpox. The clinical course includes the development of lesions, which often appear simultaneously and evolve through the enanthem to the scab stage together, on any given part of the body.

READ ALSO: 7 essential steps to prevent Mpox infection

6. The preferred laboratory test for Mpox is the detection of viral DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
7. Standard, contact, and droplet precautions are recommended when caring for a patient with Mpox; an airborne infection isolation room should be used for procedures that may aerosolized secretions, such as intubation and extubation.

8. For inpatients, discontinuation of isolation precautions should be made in consultation with the local or state health department. For outpatients, isolation precautions should be maintained until all lesions have fallen off and a fresh layer of healthy skin has formed.

9. Severe cases occur more commonly among children and are related to the extent of exposure and the patient’s underlying health status. Immune deficiencies may lead to worse outcomes.

10. Complications can include secondary infections, bronchopneumonia, sepsis, encephalitis, and infection of the cornea, which may cause vision loss.