By Chioma
Umeha
Monkeypox
is a rare and infectious disease caused by monkey virus, transmitted from
animals to human, with symptoms similar to those of smallpox, although less
severe.
The
first case was reported on September 22 in Bayelsa, and according to the
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 74 suspected cases have been
reported across 11 states including Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun and
Cross River.
The
states worst hit by the disease includes Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River,
Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa and Rivers.
To
stay safe from this disease that has no known cure or vaccine, 12 things are
important to note.
1.
Monkey Pox occurs sporadically in some remote parts of central and West Africa.
It was first discovered in monkeys hence the name, Monkey Pox.
2.
The disease was first identified in 1958 by the State Serum Institute in
Copenhagen, Denmark, during an investigation into a pox-like disease among
monkeys.
3.
The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic
Republic of Congo during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox.
4.
The infection can be contracted from direct contact with the blood, bodily
fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals like monkeys,
Gambian giant rats, squirrels, and rodents. Eating inadequately cooked meat of
infected animals is a possible risk factor.
5.
The symptoms of Monkey Pox are similar to but milder than the symptoms of
smallpox. Monkey Pox begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and
exhaustion. The main difference between symptoms of Small Pox and Monkey Pox is
that Monkey Pox causes lymph nodes to swell while smallpox does not. The
incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) for monkeypox is usually
from seven to 14 days, but can range from Five to 21 days. Within the first
three days or more, after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash,
often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body.
6.
Secondary, or human-to-human, transmission can result from close contact with
infected respiratory tract secretions, skin lesions of an infected person or
objects recently contaminated by patient fluids or lesion materials.
7.
Monkey Pox can be transmitted from human to human through physical touch,
contact with stool, blood contact. Avoid contact with animals that could
harbour the virus – including animals that are sick or that have
been found dead in areas where Monkey Pox occurs.
8.
Practice good hand hygiene with or without contact with infected animals or
humans. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based
hand sanitizer.
9.
Avoid contact with any materials, such as bedding, that has been in contact
with a sick animal or person. Isolate infected patients from others who could
be at risk for infection.
10.
Vaccination against smallpox has been proven to be 85 per cent effective in
preventing Monkey Pox in the past but the vaccine is no longer available to the
public after it was discontinued following global Small Pox eradication in 1980.
11.
Monkeypox has been shown to cause death in about as 10 percent of those who
contract the disease. Children are more susceptible to the infection.
12.
There is presently no known or proven, safe treatment for monkeypox virus
infection.
