Council member estimates that smallpox in monkeys requires monitoring

In this context, the parliamentarian – who is the chair of the health committee of the municipality of Cuiaba – argued about the risk alert published last week by the Strategic Information Center on Health Surveillance (CIEVS) of the Municipal Health Administration (SMS).

Luiz Fernando said the situation requires monitoring, and experts cannot repeat the initial mistakes of the COVID-19 pandemic that delayed identification of cases, which contributed to the spread of the virus.

“Although smallpox is not as transmissible or dangerous as the coronavirus, scientists say clearer guidance is needed on how to isolate people with smallpox themselves, clearer advice on how to protect those at risk, and better testing, communication and tracing.”

According to the risk warning, monkeypox is a rare animal viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It was first discovered in 1958 in monkey colonies preserved for research. The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, monkeypox has been reported in people in many other Central and West African countries. As of May 27, 2022, 310 cases have been reported in 22 non-African countries, with 305 confirmed cases, mostly in Europe. Five cases are still suspected. The natural reservoir of monkeypox is still unknown. However, African rodents and non-human primates (such as monkeys) can harbor the virus and infect people.

Signs and symptoms

Fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes (tongue), chills (chills), tiredness (fatigue).

Within one to three days (sometimes longer) after the onset of the fever, the patient develops a rash (skin lesion), which usually begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. At the final stage, a crust is present in the lesion. In a suspected case, conduct immediate isolation of the individual.

The incubation period is usually 6-16 days, but can be up to 21 days. When the crust disappears, the person stops infecting others. The isolation of the individual should be terminated only after the complete disappearance of the pests.

flow

It occurs when a person comes into contact with the virus. It may be through contact with a sick animal, contaminated materials, or humans. Human-to-human transmission can occur through respiratory secretions (drops), skin infection (even if not visible), through recently contaminated objects, and through body fluids and mucous membrane secretions (eyes, nose or mouth).

Persons showing symptoms should seek medical attention and report if they have had contact with a sick animal or human, a contaminated substance, or traveled abroad in the past month prior to the onset of symptoms.