From Ochei Matthew, Asaba
Commissioner for Health, Delta State, Dr Nicolas Azinge, has confirmed that three cases of monkey pox were recorded in the state.
Azinge confirmed this in government house while briefing journalists on the state of outbreak of the disease in Nigeria.
According to the commissioner, there three suspected cases in Delta and they are being kept in an undisclosed centre. “Samples from the cases have been send to Lagos from where it would be sent to Senegal and we are waiting for the result. But no death has recorded,” the commissioner said.
Dr Azinge who noted that the other six cases that were reported were ordinary rashes and not monkey pox. He said the suspected cases never have contact with animals according to their statements..
The three cases involve a couple and one young man who said he lived alone, the commissioner said, adding that state government has intensify efforts to monitor those the victims had contact with, especially the taxi driver that brought the young man to the hospital.
Dr Azinge explained that the death rate of monkey pox is lower than that of Ebola and Lassa fever, adding that the disease was first discovered 1958 in Denmark and was in a monkey.
He said that the state government sensitized all health workers across the 25 council areas of the state and had place surveillance on the boundaries of affected states.
“We are waiting for the result we sent to Senegal, though, there is no specific treatment and there is no vaccine for monkey pox” he said
He called the public to maintain personal hygiene, clean environment, washing of hands and more especially cook meat very well before eating it.
Leave a Reply