Monkeypox: Stop eating monkeys, FG warns Nigerians (View image with caution)

By Ajuma Edwina Ogiri Abuja

Th e federal government yesterday warned Nigerians against consumption of monkeys, bush meat and dead animals, saying, doing so could put one at the risk of Monkeypox disease.
Th e disease, it said, neither had a cure nor a vaccine, assuring however that there was no cause for alarm.
Monkeypox, a strange disease recently hit Bayela state, leaving eleven people, including a medical doctor quarantined while 49 others are on watch list.
Minister of Health, Prof.Isaac Adewole, gave the warning in a statement by the Director, Media and Public Relations at the ministry, Mrs. Boade Akinola. Akinola quoted the minister to have said, “that the virus was mild and there was no known treatment and no preventive vaccines hence the public should be at alert and avoid crowded places as much as possible “He advised the public to avoid eating dead animals, bush meat and particularly bush monkeys.
” “Prof.Adewole said although Monkeypox could not be confi rmed until laboratory investigations by WHO referral laboratory in Dakar, Senegal, he noted that Monkeypox was milder and had no record of mortality.
“Th e symptoms include headache, fever, back pains and in advanced cases, rashes bigger than those caused by chicken pox,” he added.
Adewole said the disease was a viral illness by a group of viruses that included chickenpox and smallpox.
“Investigation is still ongoing and our partners are working with us on this reported outbreak’ while the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control team in Bayelsa State would give support,” the statement said.

 

 

 

 

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