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What is monkeypox? All you need to know
The incubation period is usually seven to 14 days but can take anywhere from five to 21 days. (Photo Credit: UnSplash)
- An unusual case of monkeypox has been detected in a traveller coming to the US from Canada
- The incubation period is usually seven to 14 days but can take anywhere from five to 21 days
- The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Monkeypox is a rare disease that is a relative of smallpox, but less transmissible and less deadly. Caused by infection with monkeypox virus, the disease was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research.
The first human case was recorded 12 years later in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2003, the US experienced an outbreak of monkeypox with 47 people affected by it.
Also Read: From a forest in Uganda to Kerala: The origin story of Zika virus
Symptoms-
The incubation period is usually seven to 14 days but can take anywhere from five to 21 days.
Initial symptoms-
Fever
Muscle aches
headache
Swollen lymph nodes
exhaustion
Chills
CDC says that following the onset of fever, people develop a rash that usually starts on their face and then spreads to other body parts.
Transmission
The disease is usually transmitted when an individual comes in contact with an animal or human with the virus. It enters the body through the respiratory tract, mucous membranes or small cuts in the body.