Health Minister,
Prof. Isaac Adewole briefed the Federal Executive Council on public health
challenges, including recent outbreaks of Lassa fever, cholera, yellow fever
and the latest, suspected monkey pox, saying that further tests were ongoing in
Senegal to confirm if what is spreading across the country, is actually monkey
pox.
“We
have recorded 33 suspected cases in all from Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom,
Lagos, Ogun and Cross River States. What is particularly significant is that
many of the cases so far reported do not fit into the classic prototype of
monkey pox, but we are trying to confirm before the end of today (yesterday) or
early tomorrow (today) exactly what we are dealing with.”
He
advised Nigerians not to panic but to observe basic hygiene practices like
regular washing of hands, avoiding contact with dead animals, maintaining clean
environment and for health workers to maintain “barrier nursing’ while managing
suspected cases.
He
also said Emergency Operations Centre has been activated to coordinate response
to suspected outbreak of monkeypox.
Meanwhile,
five victims of the virus have been discharged from the Niger Delta University
Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Bayelsa State.
The
Chief Medical Director, Prof. Dimie Ogoina reportedly gave the order for their
discharge, after a full evaluation carried out confirmed that the treatment had
been successful.
Commissioner
of Information, Daniel Iworiso-Markson who confirmed the ‘release’ of the five
patients said the days of monkey pox in Bayelsa were numbered.
Two
index case patients and a medical doctor who got infected in the course of
treating patients were earlier discharged.
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