In
the press release, members of the public were urged to remain calm, alert and
know the signs and symptoms of the disease We earlier reported that a medical
doctor and 10 others were down with the disease and were being quarantined in
an isolation centre at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri,
in Yenagoa local government area of the state. The Center for Disease Control
and Prevention has listed the major facts about the disease. Monkey pox is not
a newly discovered disease, it has been known for decades, although relatively
rare. Dr Charles-Davies OA, a medical doctor and founder of 25 Doctors, a
platform where you can ask doctors questions online, spoke to Us about the ways
the disease is transmitted. Here are 7 different ways the disease is
transmitted:
1.
Contact with infected monkeys Monkey pox is caused by a virus. The virus has
been previously isolated in animals like monkeys, rats and squirrels. AD Human
outbreaks are more likely to be spread from infected animals than from a human
to another human. Close contact with infected monkeys can spread the virus to
humans. Monkeys are sometimes hunted in rural areas, and touching an infected
monkey, even a dead monkey can make a person contract the disease.
2.
Contact with infected rodents Rodents like rats and squirrels can transmit the
monkeypox virus to human beings if they are infected. The virus is present in
the blood, body fluids and secretions of infected rodents. Close contact with
these mammals when infected can increase the chances of a human outbreak.
3.
Bites and scratches from infected animals The virus is usually found in the
blood and body fluids of infected animals including saliva. A bite or scratch
can cause skin breakage and lead to the transfer of the virus from the infected
animal to a human.
4.
Eating inadequately cooked meat In some parts of Nigeria, rodents are consumed
as ‘bush-meat’. In fact, it is a known delicacy. Eating rodents during a
monkeypox outbreak can increase the likelihood of contracting the disease,
because a dead infected rodent can still contain the virus. As a rule, all meat
should be properly cooked, as this can decrease the likelihood of getting
infected, thorough cooking kills the virus. AD READ
5.
Contact with respiratory secretions of an infected person Monkeypox can be
spread by respiratory droplets or secretions. An example is a sneeze. When an
infected person coughs or sneezes, thousands of respiratory droplets are
released into the air. This is why infected persons are usually treated in
isolation wards to prevent the transmission of the virus to members of the
public.
6. Contact with blood, body fluids, rash of an
infected person Contact with body fluids of an infected person can spread the
virus. Examples of body fluids are saliva, tears and urine. Also, touching a
monkeypox rash can increase the chances of getting infected with the disease.
This puts health workers at particular risk of getting infected. It was
reported that a doctor was also infected by the current outbreak in Bayelsa.
Health professionals often come in contact with blood and body fluids of ill
patients while caring for them and hence are at a relatively increased risk of
getting infected by the virus.
7.
Contact with clothing of an infected person Apart from direct physical contact,
the clothing or materials used by infected person can lead to an indirect
transmission. AD The virus can be found on materials like clothes and bed
sheets even when the person has removed them or isn’t lying down on the sheets.
Close contact with these materials can increase the chances of being infected.
As
a means of avoiding contracting monkey pox, the federal ministry of health has
advised Nigerians to avoid consuming bush meat and dead animals. Professor
Adewole, minister of health, gave the advise to Nigerians on Thursday, October
5.
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