Monkeypox Disease: Virus Can Also Spread Through Sexual Intercourse, Warn Experts

Guwahati: The monkey virus is growing rapidly and is spreading at a steady pace. Apart from England, the whereabouts of monkeypox patients have been found in several countries like Spain and Portugal.

The virus is not only confined to the European continent it has managed to infiltrate the shores of America after a man was infected with the virus. Several other people are being tested for similar symptoms.

Until now, the doctors were of the view that the disease was spread through 'droplets'. Therefore, experts thought that the virus could infiltrate the body of a healthy person through the respiratory tract, wounds, nose, mouth or eyes.

But after the new cases were tested, doctors fear that the monkey virus can also be transmitted through sexual intercourse. There are also reports of warnings being issued in this regard.

A section of experts has said that if one has sex with someone having monkeypox, then there is a possibility that the partner will also be affected by the disease.

What is Monkeypox ? 

According to UKHSA, Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not spread easily among people. It is usually a mild self-limiting illness and most people recover within a few weeks. However, severe illness can occur in some individuals.

"It is important to emphasise that monkeypox does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the general public is very low," Dr. Colin Brown, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at the UKHSA, said on Saturday.

''We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) to contact the individuals who have had close contact with the case prior to confirmation of their infection, to assess them as necessary and provide advice. UKHSA and the NHS have well-established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed.,'' he added.

Symptoms:

Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion. A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, and then spreading to other parts of the body. The rash changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.

Also read: Emergency Use Of Covaxin For 6-12 Age Group Approved By DGCI

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