Summary of Monkeypox: Current Knowledge as of May 2022
• What is Monkeypox?
• Origins of Monkeypox
• Epidemiology
• Transmission
• Incubation period (time from infection to symptom onset): 5–21 days
• Clinical Manifestations
- Prodrome: Fever (>90%), chills. malaise, headache, myalgias, lymphadenopathy (~70%, different from smallpox)
- Rash after days (100%, evolves in the same stage): macules → papules → vesicles → pustules → scabs; often starts on face spreads to body; can last up to 4 weeks.
- Syphilis and chickenpox can appear similar; monkeypox rash often painful but important to keep a high index of suspicion.
- Case-fatality rate: Historically 1-10% depending upon specific clade (but potentially lower with early supportive care)
• Diagnosis: PCR of material from skin lesions (ideally sample) at specialized public health laboratories
• Treatment:
- No specific proven treatment exists for monkeypox; most individuals recover with supportive care.
- Potential options include post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with smallpox vaccine depending upon exposure risk
• Infection control and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
By Prathit Kulkarni, MD @PrathitKulkarni, Dr. Saman Nematollahi @TxID_Edu and Dr. Boghuma Titanji @Boghuma
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