Planet of the Apes!

Human monkey pox comes from the Poxviridae family which belong to a group of viruses that includes the smallpox virus and the virus used in the smallpox vaccine, vaccinia. It was first found in 1958 in laboratory monkeys. Blood tests of other animals in Africa found that other types of animals also had monkeypox. Scientists then recovered the virus that causes monkeypox from an African squirrel. These types of squirrels might be the common host for the disease. Rats, mice, and rabbits can get monkeypox, too. Monkeypox was reported in humans for the first time in 1970. It is a rare viral disease that occurs mostly in central and western Africa. It was first reported in the United States in June of 2003. Most of these people got sick after having contact with pet prairie dogs that were sick with monkeypox. This was the first time that there has been an outbreak of monkeypox in the United States.

Other ways to transmit the virus are by person to person contact via respiratory droplets or body fluids. The signs and symptoms that occur are similar to smallpox but usually milder. About 12 days after people are infected with the virus, the person will develop a fever, headache, muscle aches, and backache. The person’s lymph nodes will swell and they will usually feel fatigued. About one to three days after the fever starts, the person will get a rash. This rash develops into raised bumps filled with fluid and often starts on the face and spreads, but it can start on other parts of the body too. The bumps go through several stages before they get crusty, scab over, and fall off. The illness usually lasts for 2 to 4 weeks. To differentiate the disease from smallpox, a cell culture and genome DNA restriction analysis should be performed. There is no specific treatment for monkeypox. In Africa, people who got the smallpox vaccine in the past had a lower risk of monkeypox. CDC has sent out guidelines explaining when smallpox vaccine should be used to protect against monkeypox.

Other fun ways to learn about poxviruses is a fun quiz I found!  Quiz Whiz!