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Afterwards, infectious disease doctor Thor Dantas warned the population of Acre about the symptoms, forms of transmission and measures necessary to contain the disease.
To the ContilNetthe doctor stated that the current situation requires increased attention, especially after the period marked by physical contact.
According to the doctor, Mpox begins as a fever.
“Mpox is a disease that generally begins with fever, headache, body pain and a very important finding, which is the enlargement of the lymph nodes, the nodes. This detail helps to differentiate, for example, from chickenpox, which normally does not present this increase”, he explains.
He details that, after the initial symptoms, skin lesions appear.
“The lesions begin as small spots, evolve into papules, then into vesicles – which are balls filled with liquid – and, finally, form crusts. They are painful lesions, sometimes deep, and can appear in the genital region, on the face, on the hands, feet and even on the oral mucosa.”
The person is considered contagious from the onset of symptoms until the crusts of the lesions completely fall off”, says Thor Dantas | Photo: Reproduction
Diseases that can confuse
The infectious disease specialist emphasizes that there are differential diagnoses that can be confusing.
“Herpes simplex, syphilis, impetigo and chickenpox itself can raise doubts. That is why it is essential that the patient is evaluated by a health professional so that the diagnosis can be made correctly”, he reiterates, adding that one of the most important points is the period of transmissibility.
“The person is considered contagious from the onset of symptoms until the crusts of the lesions completely fall off, when new skin has already formed. This can take two to four weeks. During this entire period, home isolation is essential.”
He reinforces that transmission occurs mainly through direct contact.
“It’s not just sexual contact. Any close physical contact, including touching the lesions and then touching the eyes, mouth or other areas of the skin, can transmit”, he emphasizes.
Indoor transmission is also possible
“Clothes, towels and bedding must be for the exclusive use of the infected person. Everything must be washed with soap and water. Cutlery and glasses do not need to be discarded, just well sanitized”, explains the health professional, commenting that anyone who has had close contact with a suspected case should observe the emergence of symptoms for up to 21 days.
“This is the incubation period. If symptoms do not appear within 21 days, the infection probably did not occur. But, if there is a fever and skin lesions, it is essential to seek care and notify the surveillance service”, he concludes.
Surveillance is monitoring
Acre’s Secretary of State for Health, Pedro Pascoal, stated that he does not rule out the possibility of the virus reaching the state. In an interview this Friday (20), he highlighted that surveillance is active and that the scenario is monitored rigorously.
“There is indeed the possibility of reaching the state, but it is a disease that, despite having a large impact, is not highly infectious,” said the manager.
The geographic proximity to Acre increased the level of attention from health authorities. “Health Surveillance continues to strictly monitor this situation throughout Acre”, reinforced the secretary.
The most characteristic symptom is the appearance of lesions on the skin | Photo: Reproduction
What is Mpox?
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is caused by the MPXV virus, an Orthopoxvirus related to traditional smallpox.
There are two major genetic groups of the virus: clade I (with subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (with subclades IIa and IIb).
The most characteristic symptom is the appearance of lesions on the skin, which go through different stages: they begin as spots, evolve into blisters with pus and then form crusts.
