The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed five cases of the Monkey Pox Disease in the country.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, who made this known Wednesday, said the cases were recorded in three regions; namely, Eastern, Western and Greater Accra.
A total of 12 suspected cases have been investigated since May 24, 2022 and 5 cases are confirmed to be true.
However no death has been recorded among the cases, neither is anyone in a critical condition.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service also noted that “one of the cases was recorded in a Ghanaian who travelled from the United States of America to Ghana, so he might have picked it up from there.”
According to Dr Kuma Aboagye, there is currently no treatment for Monkey Pox.
He added that although there is a vaccine available for the Monkey Pox disease, it was currently not available in Ghana.
“But I don’t think we have reached a stage where we will call for vaccination in Ghana,” he said.
Monkey Pox is a zoonotic disease caused by the Monkey Pox virus.
It is endemic in Nigeria and Cameroon and is transmitted from an infected animal (squirrels, rats, dormice, monkeys etc)or from infected humans.
Human to human transmission can occur through the following: skin-to-skin contact, face-to-face contact, mouth-to-skin contact.
It can also be spread through touching bedding, towels, clothing or objects used by an infected person.
Signs and Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches and muscle and back aches.
It also includes, general bodily weakness, rash with blisters on face, hands, feet, body, eyes, mouth or genitals.
