Monkeypox occurs in monkeys in the rainforests of central and western Africa. It can also infect other animals and occasionally humans. The clinical manifestations are similar to smallpox, but the disease is mild. The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus. It belongs to a virus group that includes the smallpox virus, the virus used in the smallpox vaccine, and the vaccinia virus. It needs to be differentiated from smallpox and chickenpox. This virus can be transmitted from animals to humans through direct and close contact, and can also be transmitted from person to person, mainly through blood and body fluids. However, monkeypox is far less contagious than the smallpox virus.
Diagnosis: In humans, monkeypox is a sporadic, sporadic disease with signs and symptoms similar to smallpox, usually mild. Most medical staff are unfamiliar with monkeypox and smallpox. Monkeypox-infected individuals with a history of exposure to animals initially present with “flu-like” symptoms, followed by herpes, pustules, and scarring on the skin.
Laboratory examination: Through PCR technology, monkeypox genome fragments can be detected from the skin lesions of monkeypox patients, providing a basis for rapid clinical laboratory diagnosis; the monkey smallpox can also be isolated from skin lesions by electron microscopy or culture Virus. In addition, the fluorescent antibody methods and radioimmunoassay can detect simian variola virus antibodies from the serum of infected persons, but they are generally only used for epidemiological investigations.