Monkeypox virus can stay on couches, blankets, computer mouse and other common household items, finds Study

New Delhi, Aug 20: A new study on monkeypox by the US disease control body CDC now suggests that the virus can remain on several household items including couches, blankets, coffee machine, computer mouse and others despite regular disinfecting.

According to a recent study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), the patients regularly disinfected surfaces, washed their hands several times a day and showered more frequently.

Two monkeypox patients claimed they had disinfected surfaces and washed their hands several times but researches found the virus on "70 per cent of high-contact areas 20 days after their symptoms began on couches, blankets, a coffee machine, computer mouse and light switch", CDC said as per a report by Bloomberg.

However, "no live virus" was found on any of the items or surfaces, the CDC said. The CDC said that cleaning and disinfection practices may have limited the amount of contamination in the home, Bloomberg reported.

The virus can also spread through fluids or objects used by an infected person, but it's not yet clear how much some surface contamination contributes to indirect transmission of the virus, according to the study.

According to the WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis - a virus transmitted to humans from animals - with symptoms similar to smallpox although clinically less severe.

Monkeypox typically manifests itself with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting for two to four weeks.

The symptoms include lesions which usually begin within one to three days from the onset of fever, lasting for around two to four weeks and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they become itchy. A notable predilection for palm and soles is characteristic of monkeypox.