Monkeypox cases identified in at least 5 countries

An extremely rare disease called monkeypox, a cousin of smallpox, has made its way.

Monkeypox is mostly found in West and Central Africa, but additional cases have been seen in Europe, including the United Kingdom, and other parts of the world in recent years. Those cases are typically linked to international travel or imported animals infected with the pox.

Transmission between people occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets, and because such droplets typically travel only a few feet, "prolonged face-to-face contact is required," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. Thus close contact with an infected individual is required for the spread of the monkeypox virus.

Infection can develop after exposure to "broken skin, mucous membranes, respiratory droplets, infected body fluids or even contact with contaminated linen," Neil Mabbott, personal chair in immunopathology at the veterinary school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, said.

There is an incubation period of some seven to 14 days. Initial symptoms are typically flu-like, such as fever, chills, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness, followed by swelling in the lymph nodes, which help the body fight infection and disease.

A feature that distinguishes infection with monkeypox from that of smallpox is the development of swollen lymph nodes.

Next comes a widespread rash on the face and body, including inside the mouth and on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

The painful, raised poxes are pearly and fluid-filled, often surrounded by red circles. The lesions finally scab over and resolve over a period of two to three weeks.

"Treatment is generally supportive as there are no specific drugs available. However, a vaccine is available that can be given to prevent the development of disease," Jimmy Whitworth, professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said.

"When the lesions have healed, the scabs (which might carry infectious virus) can be shed as dust, which could be inhaled," said Dr. Michael Skinner, who is on the faculty of medicine in the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London.

"Monkeypox can be a serious infection, with mortality rates from this type of monkeypox virus having been around 1% in other outbreaks. These are often in lower-income settings with limited access to health care," said Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton in the UK.

However, in the developed world, "it would be very unusual to see anything more than a handful of cases in any outbreak, and we won't be seeing (Covid)-style levels of transmission," Head said.

Common household disinfectants can kill the monkeypox virus, according to the CDC.