NBMA tasks Nigerians on safety measures against Monkeypox

• Study traces the origin of disease, two antiviral medications discovered

National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has charged Nigerians with proactive measures to check the spread of Monkeypox in the country.

In a statement issued, yesterday, in Abuia, by Head, Media and Communications, Gloria Ogbaki, the agency’s Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, said owing to the pervasiveness of the disease, it was important for the public to take drastic steps in halting more infections.

Ebegba said the illness could be transmitted from infected animals and rodents like rats, mice, squirrels and monkeys, through contact such as touching their blood, fluids, spots, blisters or scabs and sharing of objects.

He urged strict adherence to extant safety measures and disclosure of likely cases and symptoms to the nearest health facility.

The NBMA boss stated that his organisation was proactively working with other ministries and agencies to ensure that biosecurity measures are in place against the ailment.

IN the meantime, scientists have recorded two major breakthroughs in the quest to tackle Monkeypox viruses (MPXV), with the discovery that tiny mammal species from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) harbour the viruses and two antiviral medications to reduce the length of symptoms in patients on full recovery.

Titled “Monkeypox viruses circulate in distantly-related small mammal species in the Democratic Republic of the Congo” and published in the journal, Research Square, the study found: “Overall, the present research implies that, in addition to squirrels (Nesomyidae and Muridae families) and shrews (order Eulipotyphla), multiple other rodents could be possible viral reservoirs.”

“To conclude, the current study enhances the understanding of MPXV ecology by demonstrating the prevalence of MPXV DNA in numerous forest-residing rodents and shrews. This discovery necessitates heightened surveillance in a broader array of African mammals to learn more about MPXV’s host distribution and range, and analyse if various animal cohorts possess different strains with variable virulence.”

Also, the second clinical study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, described the first cases of in-hospital and household transmission of the bug outside of Africa.

The researchers detailed the clinical features of the infection and its management, including the use of an antiviral drug that could reduce the length of the contagious period and time of recovery.

The disease, which is related to smallpox, is endemic to Central and West Africa. It can cause a range of symptoms, comprising headache, skin lesions, fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue.

Since the first report of Monkeypox in 1970, infections in humans have rarely occurred outside of the African continent. However, since early May this year, several cases have emerged in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Although doctors can reliably identify and diagnose the illness, much remains unknown about the virus, including the dynamics of its transmission, the full range of symptoms it causes, and how best to treat it.

The MPXV, belonging to the Orthopoxvirus (OPXV) genus under the Poxviridae family, causes human Monkeypox, a zoonotic illness. Its clinical manifestations are similar to smallpox. The case fatality rate in adults is typically low, but it might exceed 10 per cent in children.

Two MPXV genetic clades were recognised in Africa, where the virus is typically found. The genetic clades discerned are a Congo Basin (MPXV-CB) clade found exclusively in Central Africa and a West African (MPXV-WA) clade located only in nations west of Cameroun.

Although the MPXV-CB was previously thought to be more transmissible and virulent in humans due to the small sample size, the 2017 to 2018 MPXV-WA outbreak in Nigeria revealed MPXV-WA’s enhanced virulence.

The growing prevalence and interpersonal transmission of both strains in endemic locations underline the need for a deeper understanding of the eco-epidemiological determinants of the disease.

The study also tested two antiviral medicines –brincidofovir and tecovirimat – that doctors have traditionally used to treat smallpox. Tecovirimat is now approved for the treatment of Monkeypox in the European Union and United State. It is not approved for use in the United Kingdom.

Although treatment with brincidofovir led to short-term reductions in viral load, these improvements were not lasting, and the patients developed side effects, affecting the liver – meaning their treatment had to be stopped early.

One person received tecovirimat and doctors observed a shortening in the length of symptoms and the time the individual was contagious.

While the researchers could not say for sure if it was a direct result of tecovirimat treatment, the results suggest tecovirimat could help to prevent progression to severe disease and shorten the time spent in hospital.

They recommend a two-week course of treatment in order to fully clear the virus.