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7 things to know about Monkeypox

The Nigeria Center for Disease control (NCDC) and the Epidemiological team are reportedly tracking down 49 individuals who may have come in contact with some suspected Monkeypox viral patients, currently under quarantine in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.

Here are some of the facts about Monkeypox viral infection;

  • The viral disease is closely related to smallpox but not as deadly, produces pox lesions on the skin. It was first diagnosed in human and differentiated from smallpox in the early 1970s.

  • Monkeypox virus causes Monkeypox, with the majority of cases transmitted from animals (rodents) to humans by direct contact. Person-to-person transfer, probably by droplets, can occur infrequently.

  • Risk factors for Monkeypox include close association with African animals (usually rodents) that have the disease or caring for a patient diagnosed with Monkeypox.

  • Like most viral infections, the symptoms shown in the first few days include fever, nausea, and malaise. After about four to seven days, the lesions (pustules) develop on the face and trunk that ulcerates, crust over, then begins to clear up after about 14-21days and the lymph nodes start enlarging. There may also be scarring.

  • The diagnosis of Monkeypox is often made presumptively in Africa by the patient’s history and the exam that shows the pox lesions, however, a definitive diagnosis is made by PCR , ELISA, or Western blotting tests that are usually done by the CDC or some state labs. Definitive diagnosis is important to rule out other possible infectious agents like smallpox.

  • Treatment for the disease may consist of immediate vaccination with smallpox vaccine because of the similarities between both. Using antiviral drugs or human immune globulin has also been done.

  • The prognosis i.e survival rate for Monkeypox virus is good to excellent as most patient recover, but this may decrease in immunocompromised patients, people suffering from malnutrition, or other underlying medical conditions which could complicate the condition.

Although there is no commercially available vaccine specifically for Monkeypox, it is preventable as long as people avoid direct contact with infected animals and people. Vaccination against smallpox seems to afford about an 85% chance of avoiding the infection.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “the fatality ratio of viral disease in rural central and West Africa, where people are medically underserved, is 1-10%”.

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