Kick off World Cup preparations, Amiesimaka advises Nigeria

member of the 1980 African Cup of
Nations winning squad, on Sunday urged Nigeria’s football authorities
to kick off preparations for the 2018 Russia World Cup.
Amiesimaka
The former left winger gave the advice in an interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that the youthfulness of the players played an important role
coupled with their dedication.
These, he said, remained the driving force of the team and should be
sustained during the World Cup.
“I congratulate the team for qualifying for the World Cup, they worked
hard for it and the result is evidence of the effort put into it; they have
the energy and they utilised it well.
“We now need to pay attention to the next line of action, which will
also depend on the teams that will qualify for the tournament; we
know them and we should start studying them.
“We need to study and understand their strength and weaknesses,
that’s important, you need to assess the strength of your opponents
so you can strategise to neutralise them.
“Then you can capitalise on their weaknesses, so I think that’s the
most important thing that should be done,’’ he said
NAN reports that some of the countries that have qualified for the
FIFA 2018 World Cup are Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia,
Belgium, England, Germany, Russia and Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico and
Brazil.
The former Enugu Rangers Football Club player further emphasised
that Nigerian teams had always underestimated the need to study
their opponents in international competition.
“What has been happening in the past more often than not is that we
do not bother to look at the teams of our opponents, that’s a big
mistake.
“We shouldn’t wait for the World Cup itself to start before looking at
those issues, you do that over a period of time before the competition
starts.
“That will give you a better idea of what to expect, if you know the
psychology of a team, then you are in a better position to know how
you are going to play against them,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the 2018 Russia World Cup is scheduled to hold
between June 14 and July 15 in Moscow.
Amiesimaka, a former Chairman of Sharks Football Club of Port
Harcourt, also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to organise
regular top-grade friendly matches before the World Cup.
“What they need to do, if it can be arranged, whatever opportunity we
have to put them together for friendly matches should be utilised so
they can play together often.
“With that, we can strategise better and the players themselves will
understand one another better.
“ If we can do that I’m sure we will have an exciting performance at
the World Cup in 2018,’’ he said.
NAN reports that a 73rd minute goal from Alex Iwobi ensured Super
Eagles appearance at the 2018 World Cup. (NAN)

10 major facts about the monkeypox virus

Monkeyopox is a rare disease that occurs primarily in remote
parts of Central and West Africa, near tropical rain forests
- Its outbreak in Bayelsa state has caused panic in Nigeria
- NAIJ.com lists 10 major facts about the disease everyone
should know
Residents of Bayelsa state have been gripped by fear following after
the outbreak of a rare deadly viral disease known as Monkey Pox in
the state.
The state commissioner for health, Professor Ebitimitula Etebu, has
since confirmed the development.
Monkeypox is a rare disease that occurs primarily in remote parts
of Central and West Africa, near tropical rain forests.
The monkeypox virus can cause a fatal illness in humans. Photo credit:
Wikipedia
READ ALSO: Osinbajo challenges government at all levels on
synergy to meet water supply, sanitation demands
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has listed the major
facts about the disease.
NAIJ.com lists the facts below:
1. Double stranded DNA virus (Zoonotic)
Family poxviridae, Genus orthopoxvirus
Family of pox viruses includes other viruses like chicken pox or the
eradicated small pox.
2. History
1958: First identified in laboratory monkey kept for research
1970: First human case was identified in DR Congo
1985: First isolation in nature, in an ailing rope squirrel in DR
Congo
2003: First human infection outside Africa documented in USA
3. Transmission
From infected animals or humans
Following contact with body fluids/materials of animals or infected
humans
Following bite, scratch or even bush meat preparation
Entry via broken skin or mucosa (skin, respiratory tract, mucus
membrane eye, nose, mouth).
Shared utensils, bed, room etc increase risk of transmission
4. Incubation period
7-14 days commonly but could extend from 5 to 21 days.
5. Signs and symptoms
Similar to small pox but milder
Fever, chills, drenching night sweats, headache
Muscles aches (backache), Exhaustion-Lymph-nodes swell up
(absent in small pox)
6. Case definition
A: Designed to detect single cases followed by immediate response
and control efforts.
- Fever followed by rash (vesicular/pustular) with rash on palm,
soles and face or 5 various-like scars
B: Designed for use in the context of disease surveillance to
elaborate on burden in endemic areas
- Individual with vesicular/pustular eruptions with at least one of
the symptoms: fever preceding eruptions, lymphadenopathy and/or
pustules/crust on the palms of the hands or sole of the feet
7. After 1-10 days
Centrifugal rash: Rash macule-papule-vesicles-pustules-umbilical-
then crusted (scab)
8. Case fatality
-1-10% die from this infection
9. Prevention
Small pox vaccine (for at risk workers) which can be given up to
14 days post exposure
Hygiene (Hand washing) with soap and water or alcohol based
sanitizer
Avoid ill or dead animals’ suspects or their materials
Isolation of suspects or identified cases
Use personal protective equipment when caring for patients (for
health workers)
10. Treatment and vaccine
There are no specific treatments or vaccines available for
monkeypox infection, but outbreaks can be controlled. Vaccination
against smallpox has been proven to be 85% effective in preventing
monkeypox in the past but the vaccine is no longer available to the
general public after it was discontinued following global smallpox
eradication.

Beware! 7 key ways monkeypox can be transmitted

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced
that there is a suspected outbreak of a viral disease called
monkeypox in Bayelsa state.
In the press release, members of the public were urged to remain
calm, alert and know the signs and symptoms of the disease.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that a medical doctor and 10 others
were down with the disease and were being quarantined in an
isolation centre at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital,
Okolobiri, in Yenagoa local government area of the state.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has listed the major
facts about the disease. Monkeypox is not a newly discovered
disease, it has been known for decades, although relatively rare.
Dr Charles-Davies OA, a medical doctor and founder of 25 Doctors,
a platform where you can ask doctors questions online, spoke to
NAIJ.com about the ways the disease is transmitted.
Here are 7 different ways the disease is transmitted:
1. Contact with infected monkeys
Monkeypox is caused by a virus. The virus has been previously
isolated in animals like monkeys, rats and squirrels.
Human outbreaks are more likely to be spread from infected
animals than from a human to another human. Close contact with
infected monkeys can spread the virus to humans.
Monkeys are sometimes hunted in rural areas, and touching an
infected monkey, even a dead monkey can make a person contract
the disease.
2. Contact with infected rodents
Rodents like rats and squirrels can transmit the monkeypox virus to
human beings if they are infected. The virus is present in the blood,
body fluids and secretions of infected rodents.
Close contact with these mammals when infected can increase the
chances of a human outbreak.
3. Bites and scratches from infected animals
The virus is usually found in the blood and body fluids of infected
animals including saliva. A bite or scratch can cause skin breakage
and lead to the transfer of the virus from the infected animal to a
human.
4. Eating inadequately cooked meat
In some parts of Nigeria, rodents are consumed as ‘bush-meat’. In
fact, it is a known delicacy. Eating rodents during a monkeypox
outbreak can increase the likelihood of contracting the disease,
because a dead infected rodent can still contain the virus.
As a rule, all meat should be properly cooked, as this can decrease
the likelihood of getting infected, thorough cooking kills the virus.

5. Contact with respiratory secretions of an infected person
Monkeypox can be spread by respiratory droplets or secretions. An
example is a sneeze. When an infected person coughs or sneezes,
thousands of respiratory droplets are released into the air.
This is why infected persons are usually treated in isolation wards
to prevent the transmission of the virus to members of the public.
6. Contact with blood, body fluids, rash of an infected person
Contact with body fluids of an infected person can spread the virus.
Examples of body fluids are saliva, tears and urine. Also, touching a
monkeypox rash can increase the chances of getting infected with
the disease.
This puts health workers at particular risk of getting infected. It
was reported that a doctor was also infected by the current
outbreak in Bayelsa.
Health professionals often come in contact with blood and body
fluids of ill patients while caring for them and hence are at a
relatively increased risk of getting infected by the virus.
7. Contact with clothing of an infected person
Apart from direct physical contact, the clothing or materials used by
infected person can lead to an indirect transmission.
The virus can be found on materials like clothes and bedsheets
even when the person has removed them or isn’t lying down on the
sheets. Close contact with these materials can increase the chances
of being infected.