Context:
UN confirms sexual spread of mpox in Congo for the 1st time.
About Mpox
- An infectious disease
- Causative organism – monkeypox virus
- double-stranded DNA virus
- Discovered in Denmark (1958) in lab.
- 1st reported human case – Democratic Republic of the Congo (1970)
- Mpox can spread from person to person or occasionally from animals to people.
- The natural reservoir of the virus is unknown
- After 1970, mpox occurred sporadically in Central and East Africa and West Africa
- In 2022, an outbreak of mpox appeared suddenly and rapidly spread across Europe, the Americas and then all six WHO regions – The global outbreak has affected primarily (but not only) gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and has spread person-to-person through sexual networks.
- transmission – spreads from contact with infected:
- persons, through touch, kissing, or sex
- animals, when hunting, skinning, or cooking them
- materials, such as contaminated sheets, clothes or needles
- pregnant persons, who may pass the virus on to their unborn baby
- Treatment – supportive care. Vaccines and therapeutics developed for smallpox and approved for use in some countries can be used for mpox
Source: The Hindu
Read about Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV)
Read about articles related to diseases
Previous year question
Consider the following statements:
1. In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by ‘the same mosquito that transmits dengue.
2. Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? [UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2017 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Zika virus disease is spread by the same Aedes species mosquito responsible for transmitting dengue and chikungunya viruses in tropical regions. Therefore, statement 1 is correct. Zika can be transmitted through mosquito bites, as well as intrauterine infection, and can be sexually transmitted even if the infected person is asymptomatic, as stated in statement 2.
