The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has confirmed the spread of Monkey pox to about eleven states of the federation with 74 suspected cases reported so far by the Federal Ministry of Health.
The states worst hit by the disease includes Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa and Rivers.
Minister for Health, Isaac Adewole, who made the disclosure while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, said 19 samples had been tested with three positive from Bayelsa, four negative from Lagos and 12 negative from Bayelsa also.
He said more test results were being expected from three laboratories, Redeemers University, Ede; World Health Organisation (WHO) laboratory in Dakar and United States Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA.
His words, “Council also received an update of the public health of the nation. We informed Council about the latest development with respect to the Monkey Pod virus outbreak. So far, as of today, there are 74 suspected cases in 11 states of the country.
“We have confirmed three in Bayelsa State, and 12 of the Bayelsa suspected cases from Bayelsa tested negative, four suspected cases from Lagos tested negative. We are still expecting the results of other ones. We are also doing advance test in Ede, that is the African Centre of Excellence for Genomes and Infections Disease to really understand the genomes of this virus.
“Even when they are negative, the laboratory attendance should be able to tell us what exactly they are. We will also be able to locate and identify the origin so that we can take adequate precaution.”
