MONKEY POX
YENAGOA—FEAR, YENAGOA—FEAR, yesterday gripped residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, following an outbreak of viral epidemic known as Monkey Pox in the state, with report that 10 persons are already infected. Authorities in the state were said to be tracking 49 persons alleged to have come in contact with the infected
According to the World Health Organisation, monkey pox is an extremely rare disease that occurs primarily in remote parts of Central and West Africa, close to the tropical rainforests. It is similar to smallpox but a lot milder. The disease is also air-borne, making it highly contagious.
Symptoms of monkey pox include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Rashes
- Exhaustion
The rashes are way bigger and more terrifying than those caused by chicken pox or small pox. However, the disease has an incubation period and it is also self-limiting; in the sense that within two to four weeks of infection, the disease runs its course, the infected person 
gets cured and become immune for life.
gets cured and become immune for life.
A medical doctor and 10 other affected persons have been quarantined in an isolation centre, setup by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, in Bayelsa state.
The NCDC and the epidemiological team were said to be in search of 49 other persons who may have come in contact with the infected, although some of them have already been located.
People are advised to observe proper hygiene and ensure they don’t touch dead animals and their secretions. People should also be careful with handshakes to avoid contacting or spreading the virus.
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