Monkey Pox
Health often time has been said to be a continuum meaning that, health is a continuous thing. There has been a recent report about a new trend of disease in Bayelsa state of Nigeria called Monkey Pox.
As confirmed by Dr Ebi Etebu, the Commissioner for Health in Bayelsa state, 10 cases of Monkeypox disease have been recorded in the state.
The investigation has it that treatment is ongoing at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital to a medical doctor including other nine people who have been confirmed with the infection.
The state ministry of health workers is looking for other people who had had close contact with the infected persons.
What is Monkey Pox?
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis but rare. The case was first recorded in human in 1970 in DRC.
It is a viral disease which produces pox lesions on the human skin. Monkeypox is said to have a very close relation to smallpox.
Monkeypox is a communicable disease; monkeypox is first transmitted from different wild animals to human.
The secondary transmission of Monkeypox viral disease stops at human-human. It can be transferred from one infected person to another.
As earlier stated, Monkeypox disease has related similarities with smallpox, that is, it goes through stages as it progresses.
Monkeypox cases fatality has between one percent and ten percent, but most deaths occur among younger ones.
Signs and Symptoms of Monkeypox
The first period (the invasion period)which starts from zero-five days is characterised by swelling of the lymph node (lymphadenopathy), muscle ache (myalgia), fever, intense headache and lack of energy.
The second period is within one-three days after the appearance of fever. This is known as the skin eruption period.
At the skin eruption stage, various type of rash appears from the face first then spreads to other parts.
Prevention of Monkeypox disease
Prevention of diseases like this must start with hygienic practices like embracing frequent hand washing, use of gloves and hand sanitizers and so on.
Other specific preventions include:
- Health education and awareness exercise. This will help in bringing to the notice of the entire populace of the affected area about the existence of such disease. It will also assist in sending health messages across the board.
- The ban on small mammals and monkeys movement is believed to be effective in preventing the spread of the disease.
- Whenever there is an outbreak of monkeypox disease, you must avoid close contact with the infected person(s) or other people who might have come in connection with the infected people.
- This will assist in reducing the risk of infection and spread among people.
- W.H.O advised that health workers and other medical personnel taking care of infected or suspected victims should maintain standard infection control precautions. They should as well be immunised against smallpox through their national health authorities.
- Report any suspicious case to the nearest hospital.
Treatment of monkeypox
As at present, there are no specific vaccines or treatment available for the infection, but the outbreak can be controlled.
Smallpox vaccination has a way of limiting the disease course.