The emergence of several epidemics of monkeypox in the United States, Canada, and various countries in Europe reminded us of the dreaded pathogen that has devastated humanity for centuries.

Smallpox is one of the deadliest diseases in existence, and research on Egyptian mummies shows that it has circulated among us for at least 3,000 years.

It is estimated to have only been killed around the 20th century. 300 million people.

Fortunately, smallpox It was the first disease to be eradicated in history more than 40 years ago, when the World Health Organization approved its end in 1980 after a successful global vaccination campaign.

Now this monkey flower Largest epidemic ever seen in Europe and scientists are studying its effects in depth.

At this time, medical officials state that there is a chance of seeing an uncontrolled transmission. they are low and points out that its lethality is far from the relentless human smallpox.

At BBC Mundo we analyze the differences between these two very similar viruses from the same orthopoxvirus family.

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death

How deadly?

It is a question many people ask themselves when they hear about an unknown disease. Especially if it bears the same name as one of the deadliest in history.

“Fortunately, the monkey flower is slightly lighter than the larger version of the human flower. reached 30%« explains to BBC Mundo Raúl Rivas González, professor of microbiology at the University of Salamanca in Spain.

Smallpox came in two versions: variola major and variola minor. The biggest was the deadliestIt can reach 30%. It caused minor, milder illness and rarely resulted in death.

It happens similarly to monkeypox, although it has lower mortality rates. There are two “clans” or versions: West African and Central African.

“West Africa is the most temperate, 1% to 10% mortality rateand it looks like he’s the one causing the epidemic in Europe,” says Rivas.

“The one from Central Africa is more lethal and dangerous and can kill about 20% of those infected,” he adds.

Jacob Lorenzo Morales, director of the Institute for Tropical Diseases and Public Health at the University of the Canary Islands in Spain, offers the same percentages and explains that they have the highest levels of lethality. they concentrate in certain populations.

“From the data we’ve seen, the highest mortality rates occur in very poor rural areas of Africa and in many children generally because of their less developed immune systems,” he notes for BBC Mundo.

Transfer

We are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic where we are dealing with a highly contagious pathogen, but that is not the case for monkeypox.

This type of smallpox also seems to be more easily transmitted than human smallpox.

“It’s a virus It spreads very well among animals.however, once it has spread from animal to human, it is not highly contagious”, says Lorenzo Morales.

Medical authorities point out that there is not much information yet about possible ways of human-to-human transmission in current outbreaks.

As far as is known, it is mainly transmitted through close contacts and exchange of bodily fluids. Many of the cases in Europe appear to be linked. sexually transmitted.

However, all possible routes are being studied, such as indirect transmission through contaminated objects or even aerosols.

“Extinct smallpox was transmitted similarly, but transmission between humans was much easier,” Lorenzo Morales recalls, not ruling out monkeypox in the future. to be more efficient in the form of transmission.

Raúl Rivas explains that this smallpox is a very stable virus and changes very little. But in turn, Morales notes, “it’s a relatively new pathogen, it’s used to living among us, and it hasn’t yet mastered reproducing and infecting us.”

smallpox can only be transmitted between humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, there is no scientific evidence that smallpox can be transmitted by insects or other animals.

origin of smallpox unknown. In the case of monkeypox, it is so named because it was discovered in 1958 in colonies of monkeys held for research.

Symptoms

The clinical picture starts similarly in both diseases, but is slightly milder in monkey disease.

“As with most infections, they start with a fever, and body discomfort, fatigue, muscle pain, and sore throat are also common,” Rivas says.

Also, in both flawless skin pustules this can leave visible scars on the patient’s skin.

“Then, as the days go by, monkeypox usually enlarges the lymph nodes in both the cervical and maxillary, axillary and groin areas. This did not happen in smallpox,” adds Rivas.

Incubation period for monkeypox usually 7-14 dayshowever, it can be reduced to 5 and increased to 21 days.

In the case of smallpox, the incubation period can last from 7 to 19 days, although the average duration is between 10 and 14 days.

Treatment

Eliminated by smallpox historic vaccination campaign This put an end to thousands of years of death caused by the pathogen.

Since the monkeypox virus is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, the smallpox vaccine has also been shown to be effective for both diseases.

In this case, people over the age of 55-60 who were vaccinated before smallpox eradication could become infected later on. important immunity against monkey disease.

However, while identifying the best strategy for treating this disease, which scientists think is unlikely to spiral out of control, current treatments are mostly palliative for symptoms.

Lorenzo Morales is upset that there is no specific treatment.

“As it is a pathogen that predominantly affects Africa, not developed countries, not adequately invested in seeking treatment“, Says.

However, although there is no specific cure, there is a huge difference between this monkeypox and the eradicated one: it is the advancement of science and knowledge.

For hundreds of years, little was known about smallpox, the disease, and how to stop it.

“This monkey flower A disease we know all too well. Maybe something new to the general public but it was discovered in 1958. It’s also well studied because it’s very similar to smallpox,” says Rivas.