Curtailing The Spread Of Monkey Pox

Without resort to half-truth, it would be recalled that in 2021, cases of monkey pox were reported in Nigeria in the following states: Delta, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Ogun.

However, since then, there have been cases of monkey pox with most recent cases that have been reported among US travelers returning from Lagos and Ibadan. Not only that, the current publication of Disease Outbreak News by World Health Organization (WHO), which is an update to the previously published Disease Outbreak News of 29 May, 2022 provides short summaries of guidance, including on vaccination, and it has remained a cause for concern.

It reported that “Since 13 May, 2022, and as of 2 June 2022, 780 laboratory confirmed cases of monkey pox have been reported in 27 Member States across four WHO regions that are not endemic for monkey pox virus, and added that epidemiological investigations are ongoing. Thus, most reported cases so far have been presented through sexual health or other health services in primary or secondary health care facilities and have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men (MSM).

“While the West African clade of the virus has been identified from samples of cases so far, most confirmed cases with travel history reported travel to countries in Europe and North America, rather than West or Central Africa where the monkey pox virus is endemic. The confirmation of monkey pox in persons who have not travelled to an endemic area is atypical, and even one case of monkey pox in a non-endemic country is considered an outbreak. While most cases are not associated with travel from endemic areas, Member States are also reporting small numbers of cases in travelers from Nigeria, as has been observed before.

Without any iota of exaggeration, since September 2017, Nigeria has continued to report sporadic monkey pox cases. For instance, on May 26th 2022, a monkey pox National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated in response to a risk assessment of the national and global monkey pox situation. As gathered, the essence of activating the EOC was to enhance the coordination of relate preparedness/response activities across the country, and there were twenty-one (21) new suspected cases reported in Epi week 24, 2022 (13th to 19 th June 2022) from fourteen (14) states – Bayelsa (3), Edo (3), Adawama (2), Borno (2), Gombe (2), Akwa Ibom(1), Oyo (1), Bauchi (1) Delta (1), Ekiti (1), Kano (1), Kwara (1), Lagos (1) and Ogun (1).

In the same vein, there were five (5) new positive cases in Epi week 24, 2022 from four (4) states – Bayelsa (2), Edo (1), Ogun (1) and Lagos (1).

As if the foregoing grim statistics are not enough, from January 1st to 19 th June 2022, there have been 162 suspected cases in total and 41 confirmed cases from sixteen (16) states – Lagos (8), Adamawa (5), Bayelsa (4), Delta (3), Edo (3), River (3), Cross River (2), FCT (2), Kano (2), Imo (2), Plateau (2), Nasarawa (1), Niger (1), Oyo (1), Ondo (1) and Ogun (1). One death was recorded in a 40-year-old man with co-morbidity that was receiving immunosuppressant drugs.

In the same vein, from September 2017 to 19th June 2022, a total of 674 suspected cases have been reported from 33 states in the country, and of the reported cases, 267 (39.6%) have been confirmed in 23 states - Rivers (55), Bayelsa (47), Lagos (38), Delta (32), Cross River (16), Edo (13), Imo (10), Akwa Ibom (7), Oyo (7), FCT (8), Plateau (5), Adamawa (5), Enugu (4), Abia (3), Nasarawa(3), Benue (2), Anambra (2), Ekiti (2), Kano (2), Niger (2), Ogun (2), Ebonyi (1) and Ondo (1).

Literarily icing the cake of the foregoing data is that in addition, from September 2017 to June 19th, 2022, a total of nine (9) deaths have been recorded (CFR= 3.4%) in six states - Lagos (3), Edo (2), Imo (1), Cross River (1), FCT (1) and Rivers (1).

Given the foregoing dingy statistics, it is expedient to ask “How can monkey pox be contained?” The foregoing question cannot be farfetched as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization asserted that monkey pox is unlikely to become a pandemic as the focus towards its ameliorationis on identifying possible cases and containing the outbreak as soon as possible, adding that people should protect themselves from the damage of chronic inflammation.

The health bodies explained that science has proven that chronic, low-grade inflammation can turn into a silent killer that contributes to cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2diabetes and other conditions.

While advising that people should protect themselves from the damage of chronic inflammation, the bodies advised that three important steps can help stop this outbreak:

First and foremost is that early symptoms should be recognized as early symptoms are flu-like, including fever, fatigue, headache, and enlarged lymph nodes. Similarly, a rash appears a few days later, changing over a week or two from small flat spots to tiny blisters similar to chickenpox, then to larger, pus-filled blisters.

The health bodies added that the rash often starts on the face and then appears on the palms, arms, legs, and other parts of the body, and explained that if monkey pox is spread by sexual contact, the rash may show up first on or near the genitals.

In addition to the foregoing, it was advised that steps to stop the spread should be taken as the pox spreads through respiratory droplets or by contact with fluid from skin sores. The bodies warned that anyone who has been diagnosed with monkey pox, or who suspects they might have it, should avoid close contact with others. Once the sores scab over, the infected person is no longer contagious.

In a similar vein, they advised that health care workers and other caregivers should wear standard infection control gear, including gloves and a mask.

They explained that in the current outbreak that many cases began with sores in the genital and rectal areas among men who have sex with men, so doctors suspect sexual contact spread the infection. As a result, experts are encouraging abstinence when monkey pox is suspected or confirmed.

Also, recommended as a way of curtailing the spread is the use of vaccination to help break the chain.

It was further warned that Monkey pox is closely related to smallpox. People who received a smallpox vaccine in the past may have some protection fro m monkey pox.

Sandra Ijeoma Okoye (Aurthor)