“We have monkey pox vaccines available” – Dr Anthony

…health officials now stationed at ports of entry

With monkeypox being declared a public health emergency some two-weeks ago, Guyana’s health authorities have activated screening at all ports of entry and implemented safety guidelines at healthcare facilities across the country.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony revealed to this publication on Saturday, that a sufficient amount of monkeypox vaccines is available for persons at risk.
“We have a national committee that is in place and we have written guidelines about if there is a case, what to do. We have the vaccine available so if people are at risk, those persons who are at risk, we have the vaccine and we will be able to administer it to those persons. We’ve also given instructions to the port authorities on what to look for and the Ministry of Health, we have our port health offices that are at the ports at airports and seaports and so they have been instructed about what to look for,” Minister Anthony disclosed.

According to Dr. Anthony, health officials at port offices have the capabilities to respond in the event that a person enters the country with monkeypox symptoms.
Importantly, he said that doctors are still undergoing refresher training to diagnose and treat the virus and in order to properly treat patients.
“And this weekend we have a training for a refresher course for clinicians. So, I think we are well prepared. As you know, in 2022, when the last outbreak happened, we had two cases here that we had discovered and we were able to successfully manage those cases,” he added.
On August 7, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that due to the growing number of monkeypox cases in Africa, the virus is now a global health emergency, warning that it might ultimately spill across international borders.
The announcement by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came after a meeting of the United Nations health agency’s emergency committee.
According to the WHO, there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceed last year’s figures.
Guyana’s health authorities are imploring that citizens take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from contracting the virus, especially since a severe case has already been detected in neighbouring Venezuela.

Signs and symptoms
Monkeypox causes pus-filled blisters that crust over and fall off. After exposure to this disease, the period of time before symptoms develop could last from several days to a few weeks. Early signs of monkeypox include flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. After a few days, a rash usually develops. That rash starts as flat, red bumps which can be painful.
Those bumps turn into blisters, which become filled with pus. Eventually, the blisters crust over and fall off. The whole process can last from two to four weeks.
An infected person can also get sores in their mouth, vagina, or anus.

Spread
Monkeypox is spread by a person coming into contact with an animal or person who is infected with the virus. Animal-to-person transmission occurs through broken skin, like from bites or scratches, or through direct contact with an infected animal’s blood, bodily fluids, or pox lesions (sores).
Monkeypox can be spread from person to person, but it’s less common. Person-to-person spread (transmission) occurs when persons come in contact with the sores, scabs, respiratory droplets, or oral fluids of an infected person; usually through close, intimate situations like cuddling, kissing, or sex.

Diagnosis and tests
Healthcare providers may first suspect other rash illnesses, such as measles or chickenpox. But swollen lymph nodes usually distinguish monkeypox from other poxes.
To diagnose monkeypox, a healthcare provider takes a tissue sample from an open sore (lesion). Then they send it to a lab for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing (genetic fingerprinting). A blood sample can be taken for the monkeypox virus or antibodies the immune system makes to combat it.

Management and treatment
Monkeypox can be confirmed in Guyana with the identification of MPXV via RT-PCR analysis conducted at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) in Georgetown.
The virus is usually a self-limiting disease, with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. Most people with monkeypox get better on their own, without resorting to treatment. Following diagnosis, a healthcare provider would monitor a person’s condition and try to relieve their symptoms, prevent dehydration, and give them antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections if those develop.
There’s currently not an approved antiviral treatment for monkeypox; however, if a person has been exposed to monkeypox, health care providers would monitor that person until the rash is resolved.
The incubation period of monkeypox virus infection is usually from 5 to 13 days but can range from 4 to 21 days. During the outbreak that began in 2022, the incubation period has generally ranged from 7 to 10 days following exposure.

Prevention
A smallpox vaccine protects a person against monkeypox, but its use is currently limited to clinical trials. Prevention depends on decreasing human contact with infected animals and limiting person-to-person spread. The best way to help prevent spread of the monkeypox virus is to avoid contact with infected animals; thoroughly cook all foods that contain animal meat or parts; wash your hands frequently with soap and water; practise safe sex, including employing the use of condoms and dental dams; and wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose when around others. (G1)