CDC issues an alert for doctors to keep a watch on the signs and symptoms of a severe strain of mpox that is spreading in Africa. Mpox, also known as monkeypox is a viral disease that’s caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a zoonotic disease and hence it can spread from animal to humans. Read on to know the symptoms of the condition.
The mpox strain that has been spreading in Africa is different from the one that circulated globally in 2022. The strain that is spreading now is known as Clade I, which has a high fatality rate. CDC divides mpox virus into two categories, “Clade I and Clade II. The Clade I type of mpox virus has a fatality rate around 10%. Infections in the 2022–2023 outbreak are from Clade II, or more specifically, Clade IIb. Infections with Clade IIb are rarely fatal.”
Mpox, also known as monkeypox is a viral disease that’s caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a zoonotic disease and hence it can spread from animal to humans. It was first discovered in monkeys and hence, the name monkeypox.
Mpox usually causes painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. While most people recover from the condition, however, some people might get very sick. The virus spreads from person to person through touch, kissing or sex. However, from animals, it usually spreads when hunting, skinning, or cooking them. It can also spread from contaminated sheets, clothes or needles and from infected pregnant mothers to their unborn babies.
