3 Cases of Monkeypox Reported in Borno – as WHO embarks on awareness campaign
The Borno state ministry of health has confirmed three cases of monkey pox outbreak in two local government areas of the state.
The health ministry said four suspected cases were reported of which three were confirmed to be monkeypox by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Commissioner for health, Professor Mohammed Arab, informed newsmen that the three confirmed monkeypox patients are currently being attended to at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the General Hospital in Biu.
The Director of Infectious Diseases at the ministry of health, Dr Lawi Mshelia, explained that all the patients speedily resounded to medication even as he said monkeypox is a self-limiting disease and rarely fatal.
He said the four cases were reported about two weeks ago from Biu and Gwoza local government areas of Borno state. Adding that samples of the patients were sent to the NCDC in Abuja where three of them were confirmed.
Dr Mshelia said though monkeypox was reported in Borno, the state government has mobilized resources to tackle the outbreak of the viral disease.
He said of the three confirmed cases, two are still responding to medication, while one has been discharged.
Dr Mshelia confirmed that monkeypox has no cure but can be prevented using vaccines for smallpox.
“Many scientists and even the WHO have suggested that smallpox vaccine could be of help to people,” he said.
“One thing we must understand is that Monkeypox is a self limiting disease which can sometimes go on its own within two to three weeks.”
The director of infectious disease control said monkeypox is not an airborne disease, adding that infection can only be made by touch.
Before the outbreak in Borno, there are 204 reported cases and 62 confirmed cases nationwide.
Meanwhile, The World Health Organization has in collaboration with the Borno state ministry of health in embarking on a 30 days sensitization campaign in some slummy locations of Maiduguri in order “to ensure enough awareness is enhanced on the prevention of epidemic-prone diseases including awareness of monkeypox, cholera, and covid-19.
WHO’s Northeast Emergency Manager, Dr. Richard Lako said through the support of a team best known as community health champions, “WHO is also engaging with communities to avail themselves of covid-19 vaccination.”
