SIR: Few days ago, the federal government banned the sales and consumption of bush meats to prevent the spread of monkey pox pathogen. The announcement was made through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development following the official confirmation of monkey pox in Nigeria by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on May 29. One person had been confirmed dead with 21 others infected with the virus as at the date.
In the words of the agriculture minister, Dr. Abubakar Mohammed: “Hunters and dealers of ‘bush meat’ must desist from the practice to prevent any possibility of ‘spillover’ of the pathogen in Nigeria. Transport of wild animals and their products within and across borders should be suspended/restricted. Silos, stores and other agricultural storage facilities must institute active rodent control measures to prevent contacts and possible contamination of Monkey pox virus with foodstuff.” He also ordered operators of zoos, parks, conservation and recreational centres who keep non-human primates in their domains to ensure strict compliance with biosecurity protocols in order to prevent human contacts. He then advised Nigerians to report any pox-like lesions seen on humans or animals to the nearest human or veterinary clinics.
The symptoms of monkey pox are said to be similar to that of smallpox infection. They include fever, skin rash (which looks like blisters), headache, backache, swollen lymph nodes (glands), chills and unusual tiredness among others. These symptoms may last two to three weeks as the period of manifestation. This means that the incubation period (infection to manifestation of symptoms) is about 14 to 21 days – that is how long it takes for someone to know if they have monkey pox.
The virus is transmitted to humans from infected animals, most commonly rodents. There is also the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the disease when a person comes into contact with another person who is infected with the virus. One can also contract monkey pox if they come in contact with materials contaminated with the virus that causes this disease.
According to NCDC, “Measures that can be taken to prevent infection include: avoiding contact with animals that could harbour the virus, both sick or dead animals in areas where monkey pox cases have occurred; avoiding contact with any material that has been in contact with a sick animal; thoroughly cooking any animal that might have come into contact with an infected animal; handling them with standard precautions and observing monkey pox symptoms for 30 days and washing with soap and water after contact with infected animals.”
Sadly, since there is no proven safe treatment for monkey pox at the moment, so the onus to keep safe lies individually on each of us. In order to forestall a global health crisis, as Covid-19 did, the warning signs and omens of monkey pox must not go unheeded as it becomes obligatory for everyone to be on red alert!
- Kayode Solomon Ojewale,
Lagos.