AP File Photo
Kohima, July 18 (MExN): The Nagaland Department of Health and Family Welfare on Monday issued an advisory on Monkeypox as cases of the viral zoonotic disease were recently reported in India.
In the advisory, Principal Director Dr K Vikato Kinimi stated that Monkeypox is a viral infection that originated in rodents and primates and is typically transmitted to humans by contact with an infected animal's body secretions or a bite.
The disease occurs primarily in Central and West Africa and comes from the same virus family that also causes smallpox, called Orthopoxvirus. While it was found in Africa, mostly around tropical rainforest regions, it has now spread across the world especially in Western countries. Cases of Monkeypox have also recently been reported in India, it said.
Transmission and common symptoms
The health department stated that the disease is transmitted from human to human through direct physical contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids or lesion material or sexual contact. It can also be transmitted through indirect contact such as exposure to contaminated clothing or linens of affected person, or through large respiratory droplets as a result of prolonged close contact.
In terms of common symptoms, an infected person is likely to develop fever, skin rashes (starting from face spreading to arms, legs, palms and soles), as well as lymph node enlargement. These are also accompanied by headache, muscle ache or exhaustion and sore throat and cough.
The advisory also stated that Monkeypox can cause complications that include pain in the eyes or blurry vision; shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing; chest pain; altered consciousness and seizures; and decrease in urine output.
“Certain high-risk populations are likely to be severely affected by Monkeypox. These include persons with significant co-morbidities and Immunocompromised individuals,” it added.
Guidelines in case of exposure
In case someone you know has Monkeypox, the health department has advised isolation of infected individual and minimising their exposure to surrounding areas by covering their nose and mouth with a sheet or gown.
Stating that the patient should be managed in isolation, it also urged citizens to inform the nearest health facility.
“Avoid contact with contaminated materials such as bedding, clothes or towels used by the infected individual. Maintain hand hygiene using soap and water or alcohol-based sanitisers,” it added.
