Trillion to quadrillion viruses inhabit every nook and corner of the world. They have been colonizing the earth for an infinite time. Fortunately, out of these -ion viruses, only a handful replicate and mutate. The trillion others lay dormant. A few early references to the virus are the poliovirus depicted on the stele in ancient Egypt and the rabies virus in the Greek texts dating back to 800 b.c. The viruses enjoy the perks of life by creeping into a host’s body, be it plants, animals, bacteria, or fungi.
About Monkeypox
Monkeypox got discovered in 1958 in Copenhagen, Denmark, among laboratory monkeys. In 1970, the first human case of the monkeypox appeared in a 9-year-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The recent outbreak of monkeypox has got nations concerned. Over 257 monkeypox cases have emerged in 23 countries. Previously, the instances of monkeypox were endemic and were observed only in central and western regions of Africa.
Monkeypox — a zoonotic viral disease
The transmission of viral disease from animals to humans is known as zoonosis. Monkeypox is one of the zoonotic viruses. These viruses seek the opportunity to hop to the human species to grow and mutate. The virus can spread through the damaged skin surfaces, sensory organs, respiratory tract, bushmeat consumption, animal bite, and direct or indirect contact with animals. Some other familiar zoonotic diseases are Covid, rabies, bird flu, salmonella, and Nipah virus.
The structure and behavior of the Monkeypox
Viruses are the tiniest infectious microbes. They contain nucleic acid — DNA or RNA enclosed in a protein coating. Sometimes an envelope covers the protein coating or capsid. The viruses can have deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid ( RNA) as a genome. The genome differs in length, shape, and size. A virus survives and thrives by infecting a living cell, like plants, animals, or bacteria, known as the host cell. They inject their genetic material into the host cell, reproduce and spread to other locations in the organism. The host cell often succumbs to such viral invasion.
Monkeypox is composed of a double-stranded genetic material called DNA, and the protein coating, encased in a structure called the envelope. It is categorized into the genus Orthopoxvirus and sizes 190 kilobases.
The monkeypox, upon infection, exhibits symptoms like headache, fever, shivers, lymph node swelling, and body ache — much similar to common flu. The duration between infection and outset of symptoms, called the incubation period, is about one to three weeks. A person is not contagious during this phase. The illness progresses with four different stages of skin lesions: macular — flat skin eruption; papular — augmented lesions; vesicular — fluid-filled lesions; and pustular — pus-filled lesions. These lesions occur throughout the body and differ in severity. The infection typically persists for 14 to 24 days.
At present, there is no specific proven treatment for monkeypox infection. Medical treatment of the smallpox virus is applied to mediate the effect of the monkeypox virus. The spread of monkeypox is still in the early stage rendering it challenging to reach any conclusion. Due to the recent pandemic emergency, countries are addressing to hold off the virus.
Should India worry about the spread of Monkeypox?
The unusual proliferation of monkeypox is worrisome. Presently, there are no documented cases of monkeypox in India. All in all, the government has been vigilant in regulating the upsurge of the infection. They have adapted preventive measures and have issued guidelines to keep track of travelers from the affected countries in case of any onset. The isolation centers are established for any such emergency as well.
