02/10/2024
Knowing the Mpox virus...
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a disease similar to smallpox, although less severe. Prior to 2022, mpox was found in central and west Africa. This is because mpox is a zoonosis, a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans, and the animals that carry the virus tend to live near tropical rainforests, like different species of monkeys, rats, etc.
HOW IS MPOX SPREAD?
Mpox spreads from animals to humans when infected animals bite or scratch them, or during activities such as hunting, skinning, trapping, cooking, or eating the infected animals.
Mpox spreads from humans to humans mainly through close contact with someone already infected with the virus. Close contact includes:
- skin-to-skin (touching or s*x)
- mouth-to-mouth (kissing)
- mouth-to-skin contact
- face-to-face (talking or breathing close enough to one another to breathe in respiratory droplets)
- contaminated objects (like clothing and linen)
needles (tattoo parlours, or needlestick injuries in healthcare)
To read more, visit our website: https://bonitasfemalehealth.co.za/mpox/
