Five cases of monkeypox recorded in Ghana — GHS

In Ghana, five cases of monkeypox have been reported.

Eastern, Western, and Greater Accra regions reported the cases.

Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, director general of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), stated at a press conference in Accra.

He stated that of the numerous suspicious instances that were tested on May 24, five were confirmed positive.

Key information concerning monkeypox:

Vaccines used as part of the attempt to eradicate smallpox also offered protection against monkeypox. One of these newer vaccinations has been authorized for the prevention of monkeypox.

The monkeypox virus is a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus within the Poxviridae family.
Typically, monkeypox is a self-limiting disease with symptoms lasting between 2 and 4 weeks. Severe cases can occur. Recent case mortality rates have been between 3 and 6 percent.

The virus that causes monkeypox is transmitted to people by direct contact with an infected person or animal, or with contaminated objects.

The monkeypox virus is spread through close contact with lesions, bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, and infected objects such as bedding.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that mostly occurs in the tropical rainforests of central and western Africa and is occasionally transmitted to other places.
An antiviral drug originally designed for the treatment of smallpox has been approved for the treatment of monkeypox.

The clinical presentation of monkeypox mirrors that of smallpox, an infection caused by a similar orthopoxvirus that was proclaimed eradicated globally in 1980. Monkeypox is less contagious and causes less severe sickness than smallpox.

The clinical manifestations of monkeypox include fever, rash, and lymph node enlargement, and it can result in a variety of medical consequences.