DF investigates first suspected cases of monkeypox and mysterious hepatitis

Recently, several countries have registered cases of patients diagnosed with monkeypox, a rare disease caused by the simian smallpox virus. According to the WHO, the condition is not considered serious: the mortality rate is 1 case in 100. However, it is the first time that it has become identified on a large scale outside the African continent.Getty Images

The disease was first diagnosed in humans in 1970. According to the profile of currently infected patients, most of them homosexuals or men who have sex with men (MSM), specialists suspect a possible contamination through sexual contact, as well as through contact. with injuries to sick people or droplets released during breathingLucas Ninno/Getty Images

According to the U.S. Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox through contact with contaminated bodily fluids or shared items (such as clothing and bedding).”Roos Koole/Getty Images

Initially, monkeypox is transmitted by contact with infected monkeys or rodents, and is most common in African countries. Prior to the current outbreak, only four countries outside the continent had identified cases in history.seng chye teo/ Getty Images

Symptoms of the condition include fever, headache, body and back pain, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion and chills. There are also spots that appear on the entire body (mainly face, hands and feet) and evolve, forming crusts, which later fall off.Wong Yu Liang / EyeEm / Getty Images

The incubation period for the virus ranges from seven to 21 days, but symptoms, which can be very itchy or painful, usually appear after 10 days.Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Because it is a disease very similar to smallpox, the vaccine against the condition also serves to prevent contamination. In severe cases, treatment includes antivirals and the use of blood plasma from immunized individuals.Natalia Gdovskaia/ Getty Images

Although relatively rare and transmissible, European experts say the risk of a major outbreak is low.ROGER HARRIS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

In Europe, the cases already exceed 50. The countries with the highest number of diagnoses are Portugal (20), Spain (23) and the United Kingdom (7), according to the AFP news agency. The US also confirmed a patient with the diseasemmpile/ Getty Images

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, overuse of medication, or alcohol consumption. There are five types of hepatitis: A, B, C, D and E. However, in Brazil, types A, B and C are the most common. Getty Images

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus that can be transmitted through sexual intercourse or through consumption of contaminated food and water. The diagnosis is made through clinical and laboratory tests. TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A, so self-medication should be avoided. Despite this, there is an effective vaccine against the disease. Among the main symptoms of this typing are: nausea for no apparent reason, low fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and fatigue.Glasshouse Images/ Getty Images

Hepatitis B is also caused by a virus and can be transmitted by sharing personal objects, performing tattoos and surgical procedures without proper hygiene, during sexual intercourse, among others. Among the main symptoms are: yellowing of the eyes, abdominal pain and dark urineJeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images

In hepatitis B, the liver may present a persistent inflammation and there is a risk of the disease progressing to liver cirrhosis. It can be identified through laboratory tests. In most cases, it can be treated with antiviral drugs that stop the virus from multiplying and slow down or improve the course of the disease.KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

Hepatitis C, also caused by a virus, has a similar means of transmission to hepatitis B. However, hepatitis C is curable in more than 95% of cases and treatment is available with oral medication. Symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, yellowing of the eyes or skin. MediaProduction/Getty Images

Hepatitis D, also known as hepatitis Delta, is caused by the HDV virus (RNA Virus, which needs the hepatitis B virus for infection to occur). It is present in the blood and secretions and can be transmitted as in the case of hepatitis B and C. Luis Alvarez/Getty Images

Hepatitis D can cause abdominal pain, tiredness and nausea. The diagnosis of the disease must be made through clinical and epidemiological examinations.boonchai wedmakawand/ Getty Images

Hepatitis E, caused by the HEV virus, is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, that is, through the consumption of contaminated water or food. In most cases, this version of the disease is curable. Symptoms include lack of appetite, nausea and yellowing of the skin. In rare cases, the disease can progress to acute liver failure. Ekaterina Smirnova/Getty Images

Regardless of the vaccine, indicated for all cases, some recommendations are essential for the prevention of viral hepatitis. These are: washing hands after using the toilets, washing food with treated, chlorinated or boiled water, cooking food well and not bathing in untreated water or near sewers.Solskin/Getty Images

In addition, using condoms, not sharing syringes or personal materials, and making sure biosafety protocols are followed before undergoing tattoos, piercings, dental treatments, and surgical procedures can help prevent illness.Aja Koska/Getty Images

In addition to these, there is also alcoholic hepatitis, caused by abusive and prolonged consumption of alcohol. Drug hepatitis, which causes inflammation in the liver after indiscriminate use of drugs, and Steatohepatitis, for example, which arises due to the accumulation of fat in the liverSEBASTIAN KAULITZKI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

In milder cases, the disease may go away on its own. But in certain types it is necessary to use antiviral drugs or other specific careOsakaWayne Studios/ Getty Images

Recently, several children aged between one month and 16 years were diagnosed with acute hepatitis in European countries and the USA. The severity of the disease led 17 children to undergo liver transplants and one of them died.Pixabay

The mysterious cases of severe liver inflammation still have no clear cause, but evidence points to adenovirus 41F infection.photography/ Getty Images