Monkeypox: An Unfamiliar Virus—Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics, Diagnosis, and Treatment with Special Emphasis on Oral Health

Abstract

With the recent increased prevalence of human outbreaks, monkeypox has been recognized for decades as an infectious disease with substantial pandemic potential. The majority of cases of this virus have been observed in the European region (11,865), with few cases in the Western Pacific (54). Various governing health agencies are striving to restrain the fatal monkeypox virus (MPXV). Health practitioners around the world are learning about the many clinical manifestations of this infection, and its potential therapies. Despite the plethora of new evidence and rising cases, the essential questions remain unsolved. Thus, in this review, we have modernized the outlook for monkeypox, which will be helpful for various medical practitioners. In the light of continuing outbreaks around the world, we have also presented our assessment of the readiness of India against this outbreak, with a special focus on its effects on oral health.

Doenças virais exantemáticas emergentes com manifestações orais: sarampo e monkeypox

“…Os sinais sistêmicos são parecidos aos da gripe, como febre, fadiga, dores de cabeça, dores musculares e gânglios linfáticos inchados e doloridos, além do exantema cutâneo, que se manifesta na forma vesicular ou pustulosa e que pode envolver a face, extremidades inferiores e superiores, tronco, abdome e região anogenital (Peters, 2022). Essa condição possui um período de incubação de 7 a 21 dias, e os primeiros sinais, assim como no caso do sarampo, podem acontecer nas mucosas e especificamente na mucosa bucal (Pandya, 2022).…”

“…As lesões orais da varíola acontecem em 70% dos casos, o que torna uma das áreas mais afetadas da doença (Gandhi, 2023). Essas lesões se apresentam como bolhas de formato esférico e borda avermelhada, circunscritas e sésseis, medindo de 2 a 5 mm de diâmetro (Pandya, 2022). Acredita-se que as lesões na língua, amigadas e mucosa bucal sejam as mais frequentes, o que leva a dificuldade de ingestão de alimentos e água, gerando desidratação e desnutrição.…”

Peri-oral Monkeypox Virus Infection: A Clinical Report with Confirmatory Polymerase Chain Reaction Findings

“…In a study carried out by Thornhill et al in 2022, 26 people demonstrated oropharyngeal symptoms such as oral or tonsillar lesions, odynophagia, epiglottitis, and pharyngitis as the first symptoms [ 28 ]. Moreover, small, fragile blisters on the mucosal membrane, painful aphthous ulcers, multiple scattered lesions inside the mouth and on the lips, facial rashes and severe pain, petechial lesions on the hard palate, and temporomandibular joint stiffness are indicative of subclinical immunosuppression associated with a Mpox infection [ 29 ]. Severe manifestations of infection include encephalitis, secondary skin infection, pneumonia, tonsillitis, hemorrhagic pustules, pharyngitis, edema of the eyelids, and ocular disease leading to loss of vision [ 29 ].…”

Sensitive Dual-Signal ELISA Based on Specific Phage-Displayed Double Peptide Probes with Internal Filtering Effect to Assay Monkeypox Virus Antigen

“…Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a zoonogenic orthopox DNA virus, which belongs to the same genus as variola virus and has a wide range of hosts. − Therefore, both humans and animals have a relatively high possibility to infect MPXV. The typical incubation period is 7–14 days, and the longest is 21 days. , At present, MPXV is spreading rapidly in many nonendemic countries and regions . Because human-to-human transmission has been confirmed, the World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency. , It is urgent to take early detection, early isolation, and early treatment measures .…”