Sindh Health Department issues high alert for Monkeypox

KARACHI: With the world finally getting back on its feet after the Coronavirus pandemic raged on for over two years, we assumed we were in the clear when it came to diseases, at least for a while. Unfortunately, that is not true. Instead, we now have to worry about the Monkeypox virus. What is this virus, how severe is it and what are the symptoms? Here is all that you need to know.

Monkeypox is a virus related to smallpox. The virus causes symptoms that include fever, body pains, chills, and exhaustion. People who show severe signs of Monkeypox develop rashes and sores on the face and hands that can spread to other areas of the body. While this is not the first time the Monkeypox virus has made its rounds, it is usually diagnosed in single cases especially in people who have returned from the West or Central Africa, where the disease is more common. Which is why this wave of the virus is so concerning. The virus is now occurring in clusters especially in countries where the virus was believed to be rare, with 111 cases in the United States and England.

In a statement issued by the provincial health department, it was announced that a high alert has been issued to take timely measures to prevent the spread of the infectious disease in Pakistan. Part of the preventative measures includes screening inbound passengers coming from the virus-hit countries.

Experts say that the virus can be transmitted through contact with skin lesions or droplets from a contaminated person, as well as through shared items such as bedding or towels. However, as per Anne Rimoin, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of California Los Angeles with expertise in monkeypox and other emerging diseases, “It’s not as highly transmissible as something like smallpox, or measles, or certainly not Covid.”