FG confirms six new cases of Monkeypox

The federal government has confirmed six additional cases of Monkeypox. The cases are amongst those sent to the World Health Organisation’s laboratory in Dakar, Senegal, a statement by the Ministry of Health said Friday. The Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, said two cases each were confirmed in Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States, one each in Enugu State and the Abuja.

They bring to nine the total number of Monkeypox cases so far confirmed in Nigeria. Three had earlier been confirmed on October 16. Mr. Ehanire said investigations were ongoing to establish whether the new cases emanated from Bayelsa where the outbreak started.

Mr. Ehanire said as frightening as the manifestation of the ailment may seem, no fatality has been recorded to date. Meanwhile, there are 94 suspected cases reported from 11 states, namely Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory.

The minister said the new patients were already being managed by public health authorities and had been receiving appropriate clinical care since onset of the illness. He said the Federal Ministry of Health, through the disease control office, was in contact with all state epidemiology teams, as well as the health facilities providing clinical care to both suspected and confirmed cases.

The centre includes the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as experts from partner agencies. The NCDC said it has also deployed Rapid Response Teams to the four states with confirmed cases. Monkeypox is largely a self-limiting disease, and there has been no death recorded from the disease.

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, urged the public not to stigmatise patients with the disease. Mr. Adewole said the strain of the virus detected was not deadly and that people should maintain good hygiene as there is no treatment or vaccine for the disease.