By: Natasha Archary
An unprecedented monkeypox outbreak is spreading globally at an alarming rate. This as 80 new cases of the disease has been reported across 8 European countries.
Cases have also been reported in the US, Canada and Australia within a week of the first case presenting itself.
The first UK case was reported on 7 May, from a patient travelling from Nigeria.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face. They usually clear up after two to four weeks.
Health experts are unsure how the monkeypox outbreak started, and the origin of the disease remains a mystery.
According to health professionals, the disease isn’t easily transmitted from person to person. People usually get infected by an animal through bites, scratches or from handling wild game meat.
Until now, human to human transmission was a rare occurrence, with scientists saying it’s possible the outbreak is spreading from contact of bodily fluids, lesions or contaminated clothing and bedding.
While it’s not a sexually transmitted disease, it can be passed during sexual intercourse, especially from lesion around the anus and genitals.
The World Health Organisation is working with affected countries to expand disease surveillance and better understand the extent and cause of the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the The Foreign Press Association Africa has slammed western media for depicting only black people in images relating to the news of the outbreak.
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