The world has not fully recuperated from the lethal strikes of coronavirus, and the advent of the monkeypox virus is adding to the woes of our daily living. The 2022 monkeypox outbreak commenced on May 6, 2022, with a British citizen who developed symptoms compatible with Monkeypox on April 29, 2022, once he visited Nigeria. He came back to the U.K. on May 4, generating the earliest documented case of this pandemic. 

The risk of passing Monkeypox to and infecting a pet animal is low, and to date, no dogs, cats, or other pets have been reported to be infected. So how do animals get Monkeypox? It has been found that antibodies to the virus have been found in squirrels and rodents in Africa. Usually, the infection is caused by direct contact with infected animals.

Monkeypox symptoms     

The symptoms of Monkeypox start with headache, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and inflamed lymph nodes. Monkeypox virus symptoms also include a skin rash, creating scabs and sores. In the early stage, it might seem like influenza. The illness has many similarities with measles, chickenpox, and smallpox. However, it is differentiated by the existence of swollen lymph nodes.

The duration from contact to commencement of symptoms of Monkeypox is typically 7-14 days. The length of monkeypox symptoms is usually 14 to 28 days. Monkeypox virus infection cases might be severe, particularly in kids, expecting women, or individuals with inhibited immune systems.

How to prevent Monkeypox infection? 

Smallpox vaccination can protect against Monkeypox, but currently, they are limited to people who work in laboratories with the variola virus. Other ways of monkeypox prevention are to avoid contact with infected animals and humans and to limit the spread of infection. One can follow these guidelines to prevent disease:

• Avoid contact with sick or dead or infected animals.
• Avoid contact with infected beddings.
• Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after coming in contact with an animal.
• Cooking all foods that contain meats properly 
• Avoid contact with infected people
• Use personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for or examining infected people. 

How to cure Monkeypox?

There is no proven or safe monkeypox treatment available. Though antiviral drugs may help, there are no studies on them yet. The health provider can only monitor and try to relieve the infected person’s symptoms. The majority of the infected people recover on their own within two to four weeks. 

When was the monkeypox virus initially identified? 

In 1958, the deadly virus was initially identified in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, among lab monkeys. However, monkeys are not a typical source of the virus. In 1970, the earliest instances of human beings were discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

In 2003, an epidemic in the U.S. was linked to a pet shop where the sale of rodents brought in from Ghana was performed.  

The monkeypox pandemic of 2022 symbolizes the earliest occurrence of far-flung community contagion beyond Africa, which commenced in the U.K. in May 2022, with ensuing cases substantiated in a minimum of thirty nations in North America, Europe, Western Asia, South America, as well as Australia.

 Which creatures act as reservoirs of the monkeypox virus?

Other than monkeys, the monkeypox virus is detected in dormice (scientific name Graphiurus spp.), Gambian pouched rats (scientific name Cricetomys gambianus), as well as African squirrels (Scientific name Funisciurus and Heliosciurus). The consumption of these creatures in the form of foodstuff might be a significant reservoir of communication with human beings.

There is no particular reservoir for the monkeypox virus, and monkeys are not the principal reservoir against the name. It is assumed that African gnawers act as the real reservoir like the ones mentioned above.

As per healthcare research and newspaper reports, the 2022 monkeypox pandemic has affected at least 30 nations. There have been 410 confirmed cases, and at least 31 patients have been hospitalized. However, no casualties have been reported as of yet. 

How to examine animals with suspected Monkeypox

Veterinarians who choose to treat animals infected with Monkeypox should ensure that precautions for infection control are undertaken to protect themselves, other clients and animal patients, and most importantly, the staff working in the clinic.

Symptoms of illness may vary among different animals. For example, in a 2003 U.S. outbreak, prairie songs were observed. Symptoms were fever, cough, lack of appetite, conjunctivitis, rash, and respiratory symptoms. Among non-human primates that have experience monkeypox, similar symptoms were observed, and other animals experience fewer symptoms and milder forms of illness. 

Animals suspected of being infected with Monkeypox should not enter through the common room, wait in the waiting room, or be treated in the common treatment room. They should be taken to an examination room where all diagnostics and treatment are performed. A PCR test of skin fluids or lesions is done to confirm the disease. The number of staff to deal with the animal patient should be as few as possible.