Maria Tehada
Unclear Why Monkey Pox is Spreading Globally
UNIVERSITY PARK – Monkey Pox has been around for years, but researchers are not sure why it’s spreading globally now.
Maria Tejada is a Penn State Extension Educator, “It’s not a new virus, because it’s a epidemic in countries in Africa, but it’s usually not transmitted. There’s usually not outbreaks outside of the epidemic countries and right now, there are several outbreaks throughout the globe.”
Tejada says since June 29, there are four confirmed Monkey Pox cases in Pennsylvania and 305 in the U.S.
In the meantime, Tejada says keep an eye out for symptoms, “Things like fever, headache, muscle ache, and that rash that can be mistaken for chicken pox, although it’s absolutely not the same. If you have sort of those flu-like symptoms with a rash, it’s important to go see your doctor.”
She says there’s no specific treatment for Monkey Pox, but there is an antiviral vaccine used to treat small pox that can also be used to treat and prevent Monkey Pox.
Hear more from Tejada about this and the latest on the COVID vaccines on the WKOK.com Podcast Page, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
