The
monkeypox virus may have spread to 11 states with 74 suspected cases recorded,
Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has said.
Mr. Adewole made the disclosure in Abuja on
Wednesday when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the
meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC.
President Muhammadu Buhari chaired the meeting
held at the State House Council Chamber, Abuja.
The Federal Government on October 11 confirmed
that 33 suspected cases of the virus were recorded in seven states.
However, after samples of the suspected cases
were sent for test at a WHO laboratory in Senegal, only three cases from
Bayelsa tested positive.
Monkeypox is a rare viral zoonosis (a virus
transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms in humans similar to those
seen in the past in smallpox patients, although less severe.
Smallpox was eradicated in 1980. However,
monkeypox still occurs sporadically in some parts of Africa.
The minister, who updated the Council on
developments in respect of the outbreak, listed the affected States as Akwa
Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa and
Rivers as well as the FCT.
“The Council also received an update on the
state of the public health of the nation. We informed the council about the
latest development in respect of the monkeypox virus outbreak. So far as of
today, there are 74 suspected cases in 11 states of the country.
“We
have confirmed three from Bayelsa and 12 of the suspected cases from Bayelsa
tested negative; four suspected cases from Lagos tested negative. We are still
expecting the results of the other ones.
“We are also doing test at the African Centre
of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Edeh, to really
understand the genomics of this virus.
“Even when they are negative, the laboratory
attendant should be able to tell us what exactly they are,” he said.
The minister dismissed the rumour that the
military was spreading Monkey Pox virus through vaccination.
He said that the military was never involved in
any vaccination in the country, adding that any vaccination must involve state
governments and the Federal Ministry of Health.
“It is also important to dispel the rumour
circulating in the country that the military is vaccinating people and trying
to spread monkeypox across the country.
“The military is not involved in any
vaccination exercise.
“And I must educate Nigerians about how vaccination
campaigns are done. The Federal Government will take the lead but we do not
conduct campaign without working with states.
“So, there is no way we will do campaign
without working with the states,’’ he said.
- NAN
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