Adewole, Bayelsa Commissioner Call for Calm over Suspected Monkey Pox Outbreak

• NCDC deploys response team to state, places 32 under watch

Senator Irogwu in Abuja and Martins Ifijeh in Lagos

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has called for calm on the reported suspected cases of monkey pox disease in Bayelsa State.

Speaking in his office thursday, Adewole said the health facilities in the state had been placed on alert, the patients suspected of having monkey pox quarantined, while supportive treatments were being offered to the victims.
He informed the public that monkey pox was a viral illness by a group of viruses that included chicken pox and small pox.

“Investigation is still ongoing and our partners are working with us on this reported outbreak while the NCDC team in Bayelsa State would give support,” the minister assured.
Adewole said although monkey pox could not be confirmed until laboratory investigations by the World Health Organisation (WHO) referral laboratory in Dakar, Senegal says so, he promised that monkey pox was milder and had no record of mortality.

The symptoms include headache, fever, back pains and in advanced cases, rashes bigger than those caused by chicken pox.
Anyone with symptoms of monkey pox should immediately report to the nearest health facility, while health workers are advised to maintain a high index of suspicion and observe safety percussion.

He said 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

The minister advised the public to avoid eating dead animals, bush meat and particularly bush monkeys.
Also, the Bayelsa State Government said there is no cause for alarm following the recent outbreak of a new viral disease known as ‘monkey pox’ which has affected a medical doctor and ten others.

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who stated this in a statement said the government is on top of the situation as it is working with medical and other health experts to contain the disease.
The statement explained that through the proactive efforts of the government two out of the ten people infected with the disease are now responding well to medical care.

The commissioner disclosed that the affected persons are been quarantined in an isolation centre created at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH) Okolobiri, Yenagoa local government area of the state.
Iworiso-Markson maintained that the epidemiological team of the state’s Ministry of Health are working round the clock to stop the spread of the disease and ensure it is brought under full control.

The commissioner who reiterated that samples of the virus, had been sent to the WHO laboratory in Dakar, Senegal, for confirmation urged residents to report any suspected case to health authorities, noting that the virus is milder and has no records of mortality.

He described as sad the way and manner the incident has been blown out of proportion especially on the social media which he stressed does not in any way reflect the true situation.

Meanwhile, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has deployed a Rapid Response Team to Bayelsa State to help investigate and manage the outbreak of monkey pox that has currently infected 12 persons in the state.

It has also placed 32 close contacts of the cases under watch, while 12 persons, including an 11-year-old boy are currently receiving treatment in the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Stating this in a statement by the Centre yesterday, and obtained by THISDAY, the Chief Executive Officer, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the response team would support the state Department of Public Health and the state epidemiologists to respond to the outbreak.

He said as the outbreak investigation and response continue, Bayelsa State Government has started an aggressive public enlightenment campaign to advise clinicians and the public on the symptoms of the disease and the steps required to manage the cases and to prevent further spread, adding that NCDC has also collected appropriate clinical samples from the cases and they were being analysed through the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja.

The CEO said: “All the cases are currently receiving appropriate medical care. The patients are improving clinically and there have been no deaths. As at October 1, 2017, 32 close contacts of the cases have been identified, advised appropriately and are being monitored.”
Monkey pox infection is a relatively rare disease that has previously been reported in Nigeria in the 1970s. It is primarily a zoonotic infection; that is it is transmitted primarily from animals to humans, with limited subsequent person-to-person transmission

Ihekweazu said: “The most common animal hosts are squirrels, rats and sometimes, monkeys. The virus can cause an illness with the following symptoms; a generalised vesicular skin rash, fever, and painful jaw swelling. In previous outbreaks, it has led to death in about one to 10 per cent of infected cases. Although there is no specific medicine to treat the disease, when intensive supportive care is provided most patients recover fully.
“Measures that can be taken to prevent infection with monkey pox virus include avoiding contact with the animals listed above, especially animals that are sick or found dead in areas where monkey pox occurs. The public is advised to always wash hands with soap and water after contact with animals or when caring for sick relatives humans or soiled beddings.

“Nigerians are advised to remain calm and supportive of public health authorities; avoid self-medication and report to the nearest health facility if feeling unwell or notice any of the above symptoms in anyone around you.”
He advised healthcare workers to practice universal precautions while handling patients and/or body fluids at all times. “They are also urged to be alert, be familiar with the symptoms and maintain a high index of suspicion.”
Ihekweazu said all suspected cases should be reported to the local government area or state disease surveillance and notification officers.

He called on health workers to continue to manage their patients without fear. “As long as universal infection prevention and control practices are strictly adhered to by all clinical staff, the chances of transmission are minimal,” he noted.