Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9899
ISSN: 2155-9899
Samuel Owoicho
Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Cell Immunol
Background: An outbreak
of Monkeypox, a rare viral
zoonotic disease caused by an
Orthopoxvirus, was reported in
Bayelsa on September 22, 2017.
We investigated the outbreak
to characterize the cases and
determine associated factors.
Methods: We reviewed hospital
records of Yenagoa and Ogbia
Local Government Area for
suspected or confirmed cases at
Niger Delta University Teaching
hospital (NDUTH) and extracted
data on socio-demography and
clinical features. We conducted an
unmatched case-control study from
September 25 to November 8, 2017.
We defined a confirmed case as any
person presenting with a history of
sudden onset of fever, vesiculopustular
rash occurring mostly on the face,
palms, and soles of the feet
with laboratory confirmation
of monkeypox virus (any of a
positive IgM antibody, PCR or
virus isolation). Controls were
healthy family members and
neighbors randomly selected.
All 10-confirmed cases and
80 controls were recruited. A
bivariate analysis was performed
to determine associated factors,
using Fisher’s exact test,
and p<0.05 was considered
significant. We also carried out
an environmental assessment for
the houses of cases.
Results: The median age of the
cases was 28.5 years (Range:
6-43 years), while that of the
controls was 31 years (Range:
16-68 years). One of the cases
committed suicide on admission
at NDUTH. About 80% of the
cases were male and single.
Being single (OR=7.6; 95%
CI: 1.4-76.1) and attending
churches and burial ceremonies
(OR: 0.02; 95% CI: 0.01-0.86)
were associated with the risk of
developing monkeypox infection.
All cases and 26 (86.7%) controls
were found to be living in rodentinfested
houses.
Conclusion: Being single and
attending churches and burial
ceremonies were found to
be risk factors in acquiring
monkeypox. Public awareness
on avoidance of body contacts
during social gatherings and
strict environmental sanitation
were recommended.
E-mail: samuelowoicho52@gmail.com