My Neighborhood Watch #63 - Reporting Events Around us

Monkeypox Outbreak in the Neighbourhood

Two months ago, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention put up an alert, informing the public of an outbreak of Cholera. It is barely two months, and another alarm is buzzing, and this time, it is a Monkeypox alert. And it raises questions like;

What is Monkeypox?
How is it transmitted?
How is it prevented?

Monkeypox is one of the rare but infectious diseases that is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). It is a zoonotic virus, meaning that it can transmit from animals to humans directly. It's closely related to viruses like smallpox, cowpox, and camelpox, all being members of the Orthopoxvirus family,

Areas that are likely to have an outbreak are central and western African countries including countries like Nigeria and our neighbours like Cameroon, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Congo and Sierra Leone.

Transmission:

1. Animal-to-human: You could get infected if you get in contact with an infected primate or rodent through bites, scratches, or bodily fluids. This reminds me of lovers of bushmeat and hunters as being the first link in the animal to human transmission.
2. Human-to-human: At this point, the infected persons are now infecting other members of their family and community. Any close contact with an infected person through respiratory droplets, contact with lesions or rash, and you can also get infected from contaminated objects or surfaces.

Stages and Symptoms:

Monkeypox comes with all or most of the following symptoms and timing:
From the time of infection, the Monkeypox virus takes an incubation period of 10 -21 days to get to the prodromal phase.
From day 22 - 25 of the prodromal phase, symptoms start to appear. The body responds with Fever, the sufferer feels headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. May notice a swollen lymph nodes
Feom day 26, it progresses to the rash phase, characterised by the appearance of rash or blisters, often starting on the face, then spreading almost all over the body.

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One thing is sure, the symptoms of Monkeypox can be confused with chickenpox or smallpox, so it is best to confirm with a good medical expert/laboratory.

Do not attempt to manage any contagious disease at home.

If you have any suspected cases, contact the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention using the following;

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☎️ Toll-free Number: 6232
📳 Whatsapp: +234-708-711-0839
✉️ Text Message: 234-809-955-5577

Treatment and Prevention:

At present, it is said that there are no real specific licensed treatments available for the monkeypox infection. But it doesn't mean that the situation is hopeless, because the mortality rate is between 1% to 10% in Africa.

You will stand a better chance if you were vaccinated against smallpox or MVA-BN a vaccine developed by Bavarian Nordic which provides cross-protection. Along with antiviral medications like tecovirimat. Supportive care like hydration, pain management, and isolation will be helpful.

Prevention is always better, so avoiding contact with any animals that could be a vector for the virus, including sick or dead animals, in areas where monkeypox have been reported.

Due to this alert, now is not the best time to enjoy bushmeat as you may get infected during processing.

Quarantine any sick animals that might have any symptoms and wash thoroughly with soap and water after interacting with animals.

Thoroughly cook all animal products before eating them.

Monkeypox Startistics For 2023/2024 Outbreak

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Statistics of Suspected Cases in 2024

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Statistics of Confirmed Cases in 2024

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What are the numbers saying?

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is saying that this year alone, 47 people have died in Nigeria due to monkeypox. 5 out of this number happened in my neighbourhood, that is AkwaIbom State.

AkwaIbom alone had 48 suspected cases, but only 5 was confirmed.

Ogun had the highest suspected cases at 152, while Bayelsa had the largest confirmed cases with 8.

Conclusion

One of the best ways to stay protected in times like this is to stay informed. I wish this will quickly burn out and will not get worse in the coming days. Practice good hygiene, stay safe, and stay protected.

I am inviting @bela90, @eliany and @dequeen to discuss this health challange that is affecting us all and our neighbourhood.