In people, the manifestations of monkeypox are milder than the side effects of smallpox. Monkeypox starts with fever, cerebral pain, muscle hurts, and fatigue. The fundamental contrast between side effects of smallpox and monkeypox is that monkeypox makes lymph swell (lymphadenopathy).
The Commissioner, who stated this while briefing on Saturday in Kano, disclosed that blood samples of the victims had been sent to Abuja for clinical verification.
“The State also identified 60 people who had contacts with the victims and all of them have been quarantined,” he said. For now only 11 States are affected by the monkeypox disease and 94 persons are the victims out of which only six are confirmed..
SYMPTOMS AND PREVENTION
- Risk factors for monkeypox include close association with African animals (usually rodents) that have the disease or caring for a patient who has monkeypox.
- During the first few days, symptoms are nonspecific and include fever, nausea, and malaise. After about four to seven days, lesions (pustules, papules) develop on the face and trunk that ulcerate, crust over, and begin to clear up after about 14-21 days, and lymph nodes enlarge. There may be some scarring.
- The diagnosis of monkeypox is often made presumptively in Africa by the patient’s history and the exam that shows the pox lesions, however, a definitive diagnosis is made by PCR, ELISA, or Western blotting tests that are usually done by the CDC or some state labs. Definitive diagnosis is important to rule out other possible infectious agents like smallpox.
- Treatment may consist of immediate vaccination with smallpox vaccine because monkeypox is so closely related to smallpox. Treatment with an antiviral drug or human immune globulin has been done.
- Monkeypox is preventable as long as people avoid direct contact with infected animals and people. Vaccination against smallpox seems to afford about an 85% chance of avoiding the infection. There is no commercially available vaccine specifically for monkeypox.
- Research is ongoing to study antivirals, genetics, and rapid tests for monkey pox.
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