WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS MONKEY BUSINESS?
Monkeypox is a viral illness caused by a group of viruses that include Chicken pox and Small pox. The first case of the virus was said to have been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and it had afterward spread into the West African region. The virus has two types, the Central African and the West African types with the latter being milder and having no records of mortality.
Sadly, Nigeria seems to be having her own fair share of this awful monkey business. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) 31 cases of suspected Monkeypox virus cases have been recorded in states such as Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross Rivers. Except the reported case of a suicide by a patient, there has not been any reported case of mortality arising from the virus outbreak. A NCDC source claimed that public health authorities across the country have been well informed on what to do when a suspected case arises. The federal government had equally activated emergency operation centres in affected states to coordinate investigation and response in affected states.
Meanwhile, in Lagos State, the state government is investigating two suspected cases of Monkeypox. This was revealed by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed that though the two cases are yet to be confirmed, government opted to be proactive for the safety of residents. Part of such safety measures according to Dr. Idris was to quarantine the two suspects in their various houses pending the result of some medical tests conducted on them. Consequently, the state government is advising members of the public to observe and maintain a high standard of personal and environmental hygiene at all times as part of the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Experts have revealed that while there is no specific vaccine for the disease, vaccination against Small Pox has proven to be 85 per cent effective in preventing Monkeypox. There is also no specific anti-viral therapy for Monkeypox. However, the disease is self-limiting and could be managed conservatively. The symptoms of Monkeypox in human is similar to those in Small Pox patient, though less severe. Such symptoms include rash, fever, chills, sweats, headache, backache, lymphadenopathy, sore-throats, cough and shortness of breath.
The main difference between symptoms of smallpox and Monkeypox is that Monkeypox causes lymph nodes to swell while smallpox does not. The incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) for Monkeypox is usually seven to14 days but can range from five to21 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.
Monkeypox virus occurs when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human, or materials contaminated with the virus. The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth). Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch, bush meat preparation, direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, or indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated bedding. Human-to-human transmission is thought to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets. Other human-to-human methods of transmission include direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linens.
In order to improve case detection, health workers are to have a high index of suspicion any person with the above symptoms. The preventive measures to be taken against the spread of the disease include avoiding close contact with infected people, avoiding consumption of bush meat and dead animals, cooking of meat and meat product thoroughly before eating and washing hands with soap and running water frequently and thoroughly.
In our characteristic way of trivialising such sensitive issues, as the nation grapples with the reality of Monkeypox, the whole monkey business took a comical dimension with an alleged report that the outbreak of the virus in Bayelsa State was as a result of a free medical care exercise it is allegedly administered in some parts of the Niger Delta. It took a statement from the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to deflate the supposed report.
Of course, such amusing interlude wouldn’t in any way help in properly focusing on preventive measures against the virus. This time calls for sobriety and vigilance.
Tayo Ogunbiyi, Alausa, Lagos