Image credit: Eric Stevens via Unsplash
As our world is still grappling with the two-and-a-half-year global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, we now face a new outbreak of a deadly zoonotic disease.
As of June 27th, 66 countries have reported confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox. Overall, there have been 4119 confirmed cases and 82 suspected cases since then.
So, what exactly is monkeypox?
The CDC states that monkeypox is a rare infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Historically, most monkeypox cases have originated in western African countries, where the virus is endemic, and cases that were outside of this area were either caused by international travel or through imported animals. Despite the name of the disease, the origin of the monkeypox disease is still unknown. Although the disease was first discovered in 1958, the first human case on record was actually years later in 1970. It was discovered among monkeys in a research lab in Denmark. A wide range of mammals are able to be infected by the monkeypox virus, including monkeys, dogs, a variety of rodents, and more.
The first outbreak outside of Africa was in the U.S. in 2003 from a shipment from Ghana to Texas consisting of infected African pouched rats. These infected animals, imported to the United States as part of the pet trade, spread the monkeypox virus to captive prairie dogs who were also traded as pets. From there, the virus spilled over into the human population and ultimately 47 people in the Midwest became infected.
The origin of this current global outbreak of monkeypox is officially unknown but many believe it ties to the outbreak in Nigeria which has been ongoing since 2017. After international travel began opening back up and returning to a semi-normal state in 2021, many people saw this as an opportunity to explore the world once again. In the summer of 2021, monkeypox was seen once again within the U.S. after a traveler returned from a trip to Nigeria.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and fatigue. The most notable external symptom is a blister or pimple-like rash that appears on any part of the body.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it originates in animals. It is most often transmitted through contact with infected rodents. Monkeypox can be spread in a variety of ways, including through close contact with an infected individual, through bodily fluids, or through contact with contaminated clothing or linen. People can also contract monkeypox through a bite or scratch from an infected animal, or by preparing or eating contaminated meat or animal products.
The monkeypox illness and symptoms typically last between 2-4 weeks– people either experience a rash along with some of the other aforementioned symptoms while others only get a rash.
What can individuals do to remain monkeypox-free?
Monkeypox, like other zoonotic illnesses, is a human problem. That is to say, the best way to prevent illness is to stop spillover before it happens. This means ending the trade in wild animals for human consumption or for pets, protecting and restoring habitats, and recognizing that the health of animals and the environment are inextricably linked with our own wellbeing.
Unfortunately, once a disease has spilled over from animals into human beings, it becomes difficult to contain, putting individuals and communities at risk around the world. Moreover, if we fail to stop that initial spillover – to protect that first human patient – we are tacitly accepting that people closest to the outbreak – often less affluent, non-Western communities – will get sick, and perhaps die.
In the case of monkeypox, now that the disease is circulating, there isn’t much one can do to prevent the spread other than avoiding contact with infected people and animals. We must also stay vigilant in washing our hands, wearing a mask around others, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, linens, and clothing regularly.
When we jeopardize the health of wild animals and ecosystems by encroaching on wildlife habitats, engaging in rampant deforestation, and hunting wildlife for our own purposes, it not only disrupts ecosystems and harms the local wildlife but also encourages people and domestic animals to come into direct contact with wildlife. This creates opportunities for wildlife-borne zoonotic diseases to spill over into human populations as we have seen from the COVID-19 pandemic and now the monkeypox outbreak. To read more about our stance on zoonotic disease transmission and wildlife health– check out our report: Advancing Well-Being for All Beings.