The world faced a new deadly epidemic before the effects of the coronavirus were yet to be overcome. After England, the USA, Spain, Portugal and Canada, cases of Monkey Flower Virus (Monkeypox) were also found in Italy and Sweden.
Monkeypox virus, which was seen in Central Africa, first appeared in England in Europe. The virus, which worried the world, also spread to Italy and Sweden. According to reports in the Italian press, Monkeypox Virus was found in a person who came to Rome from Spain’s Canary Islands. The Swedish patient was also diagnosed with Monkeypox Virus in Stockholm.
MONKEY FLOWER SPREADS TO 7 COUNTRIES
The number of countries with confirmed or suspected cases outside of Africa rose to 7. Of the nine cases in the UK, six are in London, two in the South East of England and one in the North East. All but one of the UK patients, the first patient from Nigeria, appear to have been infected in the UK and most are unlinked. The US reported overnight the first case of monkeypox in a Massachusetts man who had recently returned from Canada. At least thirteen possible cases are being investigated in Canada and tests are being done to confirm the virus. Seven people have been diagnosed in Spain, and dozens more are being monitored and tested for the disease. Portugal said nine cases were confirmed.
PATIENTS ARE NOT CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER
Experts fear that known cases are the tip of the iceberg, and many of the patients are unrelated, suggesting a wider spread.
WHO WARNS of MONKEY FLOWER VIRUS
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that more cases are expected in more countries in the coming weeks. The outbreak has been described as ‘unusual’ by experts, as person-to-person transmission of Monkeypox is thought to be extremely rare. So far, the virus has only been detected in four countries outside of West or Central Africa, and all cases have had direct travel links to the continent.
WHAT IS THE MONKEY FLOWER VIRUS?
Monkeypox Virus is a rare viral infection that people usually contract in the tropics of western and central Africa. It is usually spread through direct contact with animals such as squirrels that are known to harbor the virus. However, it can also be transmitted through very close contact with an infected person. Monkeypox Virus was first discovered in 1958 when an outbreak of smallpox-like illness occurred in monkeys being hired for research. The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the infection has since been reported in a number of Central and West African countries. Only a handful of cases have been reported outside of Africa so far, and these have been limited to people with travel connections to the continent.
HOW DANGEROUS IS THE MONKLE FLOWER VIRUS?
Monkeypox Virus is usually mild and most patients recover within a few weeks without treatment. Still, the disease can be fatal. However, it can kill 10 percent of people it infects. The milder strain causing the current epidemic kills one in 100. Similar to when Covid first hit. Monkeypox Virus turns off some aspects of your body’s ability to fight infections. Due to the presence of other viruses and bacteria that your body cannot fight, in the worst cases patients can succumb to a fatal shock in the body and blood poisoning. Death is more likely in younger patients. Skin lesions are painful and disfiguring and can be a source of other infections.
