The head of the World Health Organization Saturday declared the monkeypox outbreak to be a global health emergency – the highest alarm it can sound.
“I have decided that the global #monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox.
Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder; and #monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.
Symptoms of monkeypox can include: Fever, Headache, Muscle aches and backache, Swollen lymph nodes, Chills, Exhaustion, A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.
The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash.
(AFP)
