Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed

A new concern is called MPOX. The disease known as Monkeypox has now returned as Mpox. As empox infections rise in Africa, caution is being taken around the world. At least 550 people have died and 3,000 have been infected in DR Congo. Out of 12 African countries, after Sweden and Pakistan, the patient has been identified in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the new variant of Mpox, Clade One, could have a mortality rate of up to 10 percent, experts say. This variant was identified in Sweden. Screening and testing has started at various airports and borders to combat the new epidemic.

Mepox emerged as a new epidemic in the world soon after overcoming the horrors of corona infection. This infectious disease is spreading from DR Congo and surrounding areas in Africa. A person who traveled to Africa was diagnosed with empox in Sweden. A person returning from the Middle East has been infected with Mepox in Pakistan. A patient was identified in the Philippines on Monday.

At least 18,700 people have been infected with empox in Africa this year. The new variant of the disease, clade one, is raising the concern of doctors. This lethal variant has been identified in Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Sweden.

> What is monkeypox or mpox?

Mepox is a viral disease. It was first identified in Denmark in 1958 in monkeys, so it is called monkeypox. In 1970, this virus was first detected in the human body in an African country. After that, sporadic transmission is seen in some African countries. But not only monkeys, rats are also carriers of this virus, experts said. However, this disease does not usually spread from domesticated animals (such as cows, goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, buffaloes). Mpox is a different type of pox virus. There are two main types of Empox, Clade 1 and Clade 2. The two types again have sub divisions A, B.

Clade 1 viruses caused long-standing empox outbreaks in the Congo, and clade 2 viruses spread to Europe. Clade 2 viruses have a low mortality rate. But Clade 1, which spread to Africa, had a higher mortality rate. Clade 1 type is severe. Its death rate is 4 out of 100 people.

These viruses were already there, reduced in the middle. Recently, empox virus infections have started to increase again. Congo has the highest number of infected people in Africa. It has spread to neighboring countries and is also spreading to various countries in Europe and Asia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared monkeypox a public health emergency for the second time since 2022 due to rising infection levels.

> How does empox spread?

Epox virus originated in wild animals, it is a zoonotic disease. Earlier those who went to hunt wild animals were infected. But currently the empox virus is spreading from person to person. That's why the risk has increased.

> How it spreads-

1. The empox virus is spread from person to person through physical contact. It can be spread by touching, kissing, having sex with an infected person.

2. There is a risk of infection if it is too close to the respiratory tract of an infected person.

3. The virus can spread from hunting, skinning, butchering, or even cooking, eating food that has been cooked at low heat from infected wildlife. Wild animals are not hunted much in our country. But there is a risk of getting infected even if you are close to an animal with empox.

4. The virus can be spread from clothing, towels, bed sheets, any items used by an infected person.

5. A needle used by an infected person can also be passed on to someone else.

6. If a woman of childbearing age is infected with empox, the unborn child can also be infected with the empox virus.

7. After the empox dries up, if the blister coating spreads to different places, the virus can be transmitted from there.

> General symptoms
1. fever
2. Severe headache, backache.
3. muscle pain
4. Fatigue and fatigue.
5. Swelling and pain in lymph nodes in different parts of the body.
6. A person infected with empox develops a rash along with fever. In most cases, there is a rash on the mouth at the beginning. Later it spreads to other parts of the body. Especially on the palms and soles of the feet.
7. The rash can be extremely itchy. Later, pus and lesions form.
Symptoms usually last 2 to 4 weeks after onset. Isolate yourself from others first if symptoms occur. Then contact a doctor or the nearest local health center or hospital.

A person suffering from empox may experience various physical complications. For example, skin infection, pneumonia, mental confusion, eye inflammation, and even loss of vision can occur. In some cases, it can cause excessive physical complications (people with weak immune system such as uncontrolled diabetes, kidney patients, cancer patients, AIDS patients, newborn babies, pregnant women), and even death. So at-risk individuals seek medical advice as soon as they are affected.
> Who is most at risk?
Anyone who comes into close contact with a person with symptoms, including health workers and family members, can contract the virus.

Experts are researching the situation to understand more about who is most at risk.

These may include young children. Because on the one hand their immune system is weak, on the other hand many of the region are malnourished. As a result, it becomes more difficult for them to fight disease.

Some experts believe that young children may be at risk because of the way they play and interact with each other.

They are not even receiving the smallpox vaccination that was discontinued more than four decades ago. As a result, older people may be somewhat protected due to previous vaccinations.

Anyone with a weakened immune system, especially pregnant women, is at a higher risk of contracting the disease.

To avoid this, avoid close contact with someone who has empox, and if someone around you has the virus, wash your hands with soap and water.

People with empox should be isolated from others until all wounds have healed.

WHO says condoms should be used as a precaution during sexual intercourse for up to 12 weeks after recovery.

> How different is Mpox and Corona?

The coronavirus spreads very quickly. Compared to that, the diffusion speed of MPOX is slower. The number of people infected with the corona virus has increased by leaps and bounds in a very short time after it was detected in China. Even after the first detection, the number of corona detection increased up to 10 times in one week in January.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the corona virus a global pandemic. In the meantime, the number of corona cases around the world exceeded 126,000. The number of people who died in Corona was 4 thousand 600. However, only three months have passed since the first detection of Corona virus in China.

In contrast, millions of people around the world have been diagnosed with MPOX since 2022. A couple of hundred people died. This information was reported by the World Health Organization.

We have measures in place to prevent the spread of pox. The current situation is not the same as what we went through during the Corona pandemic. There was no vaccination then. Antivirals were not.

> Homeo Remedies:- The patient is treated not by an experienced doctor.According to Hahnemann's homeopathic principles, treatment of any complex and difficult disease, including empox, can be easily treated by God's grace if treated according to the individual's individuality, VVic symptom group, and metallurgy. There is no such thing as eternal truth in medical science. Because once we used to hear that there is no cure for tuberculosis, now we hear that tuberculosis is better. All this is the result of scientific progress and development. Various diseases are the most popular treatment method in homeopathy. Homeopathic treatment is done by selecting medicines based on overall symptoms. It is the only medical procedure that removes all the signs and symptoms of the patient's suffering and restores him to full health. According to BBC News 2016 data, about 40 percent of patients in the country are cured by receiving homeopathy treatment.

> Homeo Medicine:- First medicines that can be used for empox are Rastox, Sarsenia purpurea, Bionia for similar symptoms.
Vaccinum, Malandrinum, Pulcetilla, Antim Crude, Sulphur, Thuja, Variolinum, Mercurius Sol, Silicea and many other medicines can come on the symptoms, so if you want to get proper treatment without using it yourself, take the advice of an experienced physician.
Finally, there is no cure for empox or monkeypox. However, like any virus outbreak, it can be prevented by taking precautionary measures. There is no specific vaccine for it. However, the smallpox virus is similar to the empox monkeypox virus. As a result, smallpox vaccination can provide 85 percent protection against monkeypoxAs the disease is generally not fatal, experts say there is little reason to worry about it.

The writer is a Columnist and researcher Founder and Chairman, Jatiya rogi Kalyan Society.