The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) yesterday announced
that fresh cases of Monkeypox disease had been recorded in
the country. A
statement by the NCDC Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu,
disclosed this.
He said 19 fresh cases had been recorded across the country, aside
from the 12 cases that were earlier recorded in Bayelsa State. According
to the statement, other states where the disease has been discovered
are Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun and Cross River States.
“Following the notification of a suspected Monkeypox outbreak on
September 22, 2017 in Bayelsa State, other suspected cases have been
reported from six more states, bringing the total number of suspected
cases to 31 across seven states.
“Samples have been collected from each suspected case for laboratory
confirmation and the results are still being awaited. So far, there have
been no deaths recorded. It is unlikely that many of the suspected
cases are actually monkeypox, as they were all being investigated.”
Ihekweazu explained that the suspected cases are currently receiving
appropriate medical care, even as the patients were improving
clinically. He said the Federal Ministry of Health, through the NCDC was
supporting the affected states to ensure that the outbreak was brought
under control.
The epidemiologist disclosed that the NCDC had activated an Emergency
Operation Centre (EOC) to coordinate investigation and response to the
disease.
The symptoms include fever, headache, body pain, malaise,
lymphadenopathy (enlargement of glands), sore throat and the
characteristic generalised vesicular rash.
While urging general cleanliness, he added that the rashes might last
between two to four weeks. Monkeypox is self-limiting, which means
patients could recover with time.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said the
blood samples from the two suspected cases in the state had been taken
to the laboratory to verify their status.
Idris said although there was no specific vaccine for the disease,
the vaccination against small pox has been proven to be 85 per cent
effective in preventing the disease.
He urged residents to avoid close contact with infected people, wash
their hands with soap, as well as avoid the consumption of bush meat and
dead animals.
In Akwa Ibom State, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic
Ukpong urged the residents not to panic. He said: “It is only Senegal
that has the equipment to confirm the disease, so the samples of all
suspected cases have been sent for confirmation.”
In Rivers State, two patients suspected to be infected with the virus
are currently hospitalised at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching
Hospital, (UPTH).
The Chief Medical Director of the Institution, Prof. Aaron Ojule, who
disclosed this yesterday, said the patients are in isolation ward where
experts were managing their condition, pending the outcome of the
samples taken for examination.
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