The return of monkey pox, ailment that has no cure, 39 years after

The current suspected monkey pox outbreak in Nigeria, which has now spread to seven states, is the third in the nation’s history.. There were a total of three recorded human cases previously in 1971 and 1978 according to the Centres for Disease Control, CDC.

The current outbreak in Nigeria is of West African origin and associated with milder disease, fewer deaths, and limited human-to-human transmission. Studies have shown that the monkey pox virus can cause a fatal illness in humans and, although it is similar to human smallpox which has been eradicated, it is much milder.

A professor of virology and former President, Nigeria Academy of Science, Professor Oyewale Tomori, described as a shame Nigeria’s inability to diagnose monkey pox.

Tomori, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard from the US, remarked: “It is indeed a shame for us in this country that, nearly 60 years after our so called independence, we are still unable to confirm a case of most diseases without sending our samples to laboratories overseas.

Vanguard, October 15, 2017

 

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