Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 22, 2024 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
Medical News: Mpox, a viral zoonosis, has emerged as a severe health threat in recent years, causing growing concern across the globe. Although it was first discovered in 1958 in monkeys used for research, this virus has since evolved, impacting human populations with potentially life-threatening consequences. The virus is closely related to smallpox, causing similar symptoms such as fever, headaches, and pustular rashes. The disease's low occurrence rates, mainly in Central and West Africa, initially kept it under the radar. However, with recent outbreaks and the potential for human-to-human transmission, Mpox (Monkeypox) has now become a pressing public health issue.
Understanding the multi-organ impact of Mpox (Monkeypox)
Why the Study Was Conducted
The research published in this
Medical News report investigates the various ways in which Mpox affects different organs in the body. This systematic review is important because previous studies have focused heavily on the cutaneous (skin-related) symptoms of the disease, often overlooking its impact on other critical systems, including respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and gastrointestinal systems.
Understanding these broad-ranging effects is vital for developing better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies for Mpox. The review covers 25 systematic reviews that study different clinical manifestations of Mpox, helping synthesize current knowledge and identifying gaps in research.
Methodology: A Comprehensive Approach
To ensure the study was thorough, the team of international researchers adhered to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and followed PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). A broad literature search was conducted up until September 2023, scanning databases like PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for systematic reviews related to Mpox in humans. The final review includes 25 systematic reviews that explore various manifestations of Mpox across different populations and geographical regions.
The selected reviews were carefully assessed for quality using the AMSTAR-2 tool, which evaluates the reliability and accuracy of systematic reviews. The findings were categorized according to affected organ systems, such as cutaneous, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological manifestations.
Key Findings: How Mpox Affects the Body
Skin (Cutaneous) Manifestations
The most common symptom of Mpox is a rash, which can affect 100% of those infected, according to some studies. Skin lesions, including pustules, papules, and ulcers, are a defining feature of the disease. Before 2022, about 53.6% of Mpox patients experienced moderate skin rash severity, but this shifted post-2022, with 84.9% of cases reporting mild rashes. Lesions were most commonly found on the face, trunk, and limbs, although the 2022 outbreak saw an increase in genital and perianal lesions, with over 50% of patients affected.
ng>Respiratory and Cardiovascular Effects
Mpox doesn't just stop at the skin. Up to 50% of infected individuals experience respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, and chest pain. Cardiovascular complications, though less common, have been reported. These include myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), with patients displaying symptoms like chest pain, abnormal heart rhythms, and elevated cardiac biomarkers such as high-sensitivity troponins and creatine kinase levels.
Cardiovascular issues often arise in more severe cases, with abnormal heart rhythms (sinus tachycardia) and signs of heart damage seen in several cases. These findings indicate the potentially severe impact of Mpox on the heart, a detail that was previously under-researched.
Neurological and Gastrointestinal Manifestations
Headaches are one of the most frequently reported neurological symptoms, affecting more than 30% of Mpox patients. In some cases, this is accompanied by other neurological issues such as myalgia (muscle pain), fatigue, and confusion. Severe cases have reported encephalitis (brain inflammation) and seizures. Gastrointestinal symptoms, while less frequent, are still noteworthy, with some patients experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, and proctitis (inflammation of the rectum). This article highlights how diverse the impacts of Mpox can be on different systems within the body, underscoring the need for comprehensive care.
Ophthalmic and Oral Symptoms
The review also found that Mpox can affect the eyes and mouth. Ophthalmic (eye) manifestations, such as conjunctivitis and vision issues, were observed in around 6% of patients. Oral symptoms like sore throat, tonsillitis, and oral ulcers were also present, with oral lesions seen in up to 52% of pre-2022 cases. The changes in the prevalence of these symptoms across different outbreaks highlight the virus's unpredictable nature.
Conclusion: Why These Findings Matter
The study shows that Mpox is a complex disease that affects multiple organ systems, going far beyond the visible skin lesions that have traditionally defined the disease. It’s clear from the findings that Mpox can lead to serious health complications, including heart inflammation, neurological issues, and gastrointestinal problems. This umbrella review emphasizes the need for more high-quality, long-term studies to fully understand the scope of the disease and its varied manifestations.
Importantly, the study also highlights significant gaps in current research. While skin symptoms are well-documented, more work is needed to explore how Mpox impacts internal organs and why some individuals experience severe, life-threatening symptoms while others have mild cases. Furthermore, there’s a lack of information on how Mpox affects vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.
The findings underscore the importance of global and region-specific approaches to Mpox management, especially in light of the differences in symptom distribution between outbreaks in different parts of the world. Continued research is critical to improving diagnosis, treatment, and prevention efforts.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: BMC Infectious Diseases.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12879-024-09884-y
For the latest Mpox News, keep on logging to Thailand Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/genomic-recombination-causing-rapid-evolution-of-mpox-clade-1b-diverging-into-four-lineages-and-14-subgroups
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/mpox-infections-can-lead-to-a-variety-of-oral-lesions
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