Producer: Peuli Bakshi
Recently, a young man, who recently returned after travelling to a country witnessing an Mpox (monkeypox) outbreak, was identified as a suspect case, a first in India. Here's what you need to know about the disease.
According to WHO, Mpox is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. The infection spreads, mainly through close contact, or via things and surfaces touched by a person with Mpox.
The viral infection causes fever, headache, rashes, pus-filled lesions, and mild flu-like symptoms.
The rash looks like blisters or sores and can affect the face, palms, soles of feet, mouth, groin, genital or anal regions.
In some cases, people can develop serious illnesses through the Mpox virus and it can lead to death as well.
A former WHO medical officer for Mpox Health Operations said, "overall risk (of infection) to the general population outside of the affected countries remains low."
The infection can be fought with rapid isolation of any suspected cases until proven negative and, if positive, until symptom resolution.