From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has announced that only three samples taken from the 17 suspected patients of Monkey Pox in Bayelsa State, have been confirmed as cases of the disease.
Speaking at a media briefing Monday in Abuja on results from the 21 samples sent to the World Health Organisation (WHO) regional laboratory in Senegal for testing, Adewole, further explained that all four samples taken from suspected cases in Lagos tested negative, the same thing for remaining 12 samples taken from Bayelsa.
The minister who said government is still awaiting results from two samples already sent to Senagal, also stated that no death has been recorded from the outbreak.
“As at October 13, there were 17 suspected cases reported from Yenagoa LGA in Bayelsa State.
“We have received laboratory confirmation for Monkey Pox virus from three of these cases from the WHO Regional Laboratory in Dakar, Senegal. Samples from 12 others from Bayelsa were negative.
“With these results, three suspected Monkey Pox outbreak in Yenagoa has been confirmed with laboratory evidence. The most likely source of infection is a primary zoonotic transmission, from an animal, with secondary person-to-person transmission”, he said.
“Since our initial announcement, a total of 43 other suspected cases have been reported from eight other States (Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ekiti, Lagos, Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, and FCT. Of these, four cases from Lagos have also been tested and confirmed to be negative for the Monkey pox virus.
“We expect that many of these cases being reported from other states in Nigeria are not caused by the Monkey Pox virus, but we will continue to investigate all those cases that fit the case definition”, he added.
Corroborating the position of the minister, National Coordinator of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Iheaweazu stated that the federal government has received the results of 19 out of the 21 samples sent to Senegal and with only three returning as Monkey Pox, the disease has again proven to be “self-limiting”.
Regardless, Ihekweazu reiterated that members of the public observe measures that can be taken to prevent infection with Monkey Pox virus including, individuals avoiding contact with squirrels, rats and similar animals, especially when these animals are sick or found dead in areas where the Monkey Pox virus is circulating.