Botswana ‘ready’ to tackle Monkey Pox
Lisa Keatlholetswe | Monday July 4, 2022 06:00
Already neighbouring country, South Africa, has confirmed its first case of Monkey Pox but Botswana has recorded none so far according to the ministry.
“The ministry surveillance and response teams are undertaking a range of preparedness and response planning activities to ensure optimal response, should the need arise,” MoH recently revealed in a statement.
The Ministry spokesperson, Dr Christopher Nyanga added they therefore implore the public to be vigilant and visit the nearest health facility if they experience symptoms.
These may include unexplained skin rash with one or more of the following: fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle ache, weakness, or back pain.
“Monkeypox is a disease caused by the Monkeypox virus. It can spread from infected animals such as rodents and monkeys to humans,” Nyanga said.
“It is transmitted from person to person through close contact with infected respiratory droplets, skin lesions or contaminated objects. Contact often occurs during prolonged, face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact such as kissing, cuddling or sexual intercourse.”
There has been increasing number of reported cases in several European countries, the US, Canada, Australia, Morocco and United Arab Emirates.
Monkey pox virus is an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Orthopox virus species of the Poxviridae family. Although monkey pox and small pox are closely related, monkey pox is rarely fatal.
The clinical presentation of monkey pox resembles that of smallpox, a related orthopox virus infection which has been eradicated. Smallpox was more easily transmitted and more often fatal as about 30% of patients died.
The last case of naturally acquired smallpox occurred in 1977, and in 1980 smallpox was declared to have been eradicated worldwide after a global campaign of vaccination and containment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research. Despite being named “monkeypox”, the source of the disease remains unknown.
However, African rodents and non-human primates (like monkeys) may harbour the virus and infect people. Animal-to-human (zoonotic) transmission can occur from direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), human monkey pox was first identified during in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region where smallpox had been eliminated in 1968.
“In Africa, evidence of monkey pox virus infection has been found in many animals including dormice, and different species of monkeys. The natural reservoir of monkey pox has not yet been identified, though rodents are the most likely. Eating inadequately cooked meat and other animal products of infected animals is a possible risk factor. People living in or near forested areas may have indirect or low-level exposure to infected animals,” WHO explains.
Human to human transmission can result from close contact with respiratory emissions, skin lesions of an infected person or recently contaminated objects.
Transmission via droplet respiratory particles usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact, which puts health workers, household members and other close contacts of active cases at greater risk.
The gestation period (interval from infection to beginning of symptoms) of monkey pox is usually from six to 13 days but can range from five to 21 days, with the first zero to five days having symptoms characterised by fever, intense headache, swelling of the lymph nodes, back pain, muscle aches and lack of energy. The skin eruption usually commences one to three days after the presence of fever and can be more concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Monkey pox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. Severe cases occur more commonly amongst children and are related to the extent of virus exposure, patient health status and nature of complications.
Underlying immune deficiencies may lead to worst outcomes. WHO also states that vaccination against smallpox was demonstrated through several observational studies to be about 85% effective in preventing monkey pox. Consequently, prior smallpox vaccination may result in milder illness.
A still newer vaccine based on a modified attenuated vaccinia virus (Ankara strain) was approved for the prevention of monkey pox in 2019. This is a two-dose vaccine for which availability remains limited. Smallpox and monkey pox vaccines are developed in formulations based on the vaccinia virus due to cross-protection afforded for the immune response to orthopox viruses.
WHO continues to closely monitor the situation, and support international coordination and information sharing with Member States and partners.
Clinical and public health incident response have been activated by Member States to coordinate comprehensive case finding, contact tracing, laboratory investigation, isolation, clinical management and implementation of infection and prevention and control measures.
Citizens and non-citizens are advised to visit the nearest health facilities if they experience any of the symptoms presented.