Potential long-term consequences of monkeypox may include a persistent decline in visual acuity and disturbances in internal organ functions.
This was stated to the Russian news agency TASS by Konstantin Zhdanov, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and deputy director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine for Scientific and Translational Medicine.
He said: “If the rash affects the face and the area around the eyes, the risk of vision complications increases significantly. Corneal scarring or inflammation can lead to a sustained decrease in visual acuity, or even complete blindness in one or both eyes. The likelihood of developing chronic blepharitis and conjunctivitis also increases.”
According to the expert, some recovered patients may experience long-term consequences, lasting from several months to a year or more, in addition to vision problems. The type of these complications depends on the viral strain (clade) and the patient's overall health, with strain 1 causing more severe complications than strain 2.
Skin problems remain among the most common consequences. Because the virus can infect deeper layers of the skin, tissue healing defects may occur, including scarring and pigmentation changes. Neurological and psychological disturbances may also occur, and patients sometimes experience persistent pain, prolonged weakness, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The cosmetic defects and stigma associated with the disease can lead to depression, increased anxiety, and social phobia.
Zhdanov added: “In rare cases of severe forms of the disease, damage to internal organs may occur, especially in immunocompromised individuals, including those with HIV. Examples include decreased lung function after pneumonia and digestive and bowel problems resulting from scarring of intestinal tissue following severe proctitis.”
He noted that children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, including those with HIV, are most at risk of developing severe forms of the disease and dying from its complications.
It is reported that on October 16, the press service of the regional branch of the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being (Rospotrebnadzor) in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region announced that five people suspected of having monkeypox had been hospitalized in St. Petersburg. On October 19, the Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital confirmed the patients' cases, stating that their conditions ranged from mild to moderate and that they were receiving treatment.
what is your opinion on this news ?do let us know in the comments on tha comment box
if you liked this news article please share on friends & family & don't forget to follow on website & social media