The Nigerian Government says it has called on Veterinary epidemiology officers, field surveillance agents and veterinarians to step up their surveillance activities aimed at picking any possible case of Monkey Pox in animals.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, according to NAN.
He directed all health facilities across the country to ensure vigilance so as to be able to pick possible signs and symptoms of Monkey Pox in non-human primate (NHP) patients.
What they are saying
The Agriculture Minister said, “following the recent confirmation of Monkey Pox (MP) resurgence in Nigeria on May 29, involving 21 persons by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), where it was said to have led to the death of one person with co-morbidity.
”The Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (FMARD), through the Department of Veterinary & Pest Control Services is actively collaborating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other stakeholders in the One Health Team to ensure the situation is contained and brought under control.”
In view of the above, the Ministry gave the following advice:
- People must avoid contact with persons suspected to be infected with Monkey Pox at home and at workplaces.
- Hunters and dealers of “bushmeat” must desist from the practice forthwith to prevent any possibility of “SPILLOVER” of the pathogen in Nigeria.
- Transport of wild animals and their products within and across the borders should be suspended/restricted.
The FG also ordered all operators of Zoos, Parks, Conservation and Recreational centres keeping non-human primates in their domains must ensure strict compliance with their biosecurity protocols aimed at preventing their contact with humans.
- ”All Veterinary Clinics, Veterinary Teaching Hospitals and other Veterinary Health Institutions across the country must ensure vigilance so as to be able to pick possible signs and symptoms of Monkey Pox in non-human primate (NHP) patients.
- ”We must also ensure regular handwashing using strong disinfectant anytime we handle NHP and rodents in our various locations.”
The Minister urged the general public to report any pox-like lesions seen on humans or animals to the nearest human or veterinary clinics respectively, highlighting that Veterinary epidemiology officers, field surveillance agents and veterinarians should step up their surveillance activities aimed at picking any possible case of Monkey Pox in animals.
Meanwhile, the NCDC added that the disease is not generated in any of its labs, citing that “Some other laboratories are dedicated to the very successful HIV control programme, managed by the Federal Government and her partners, based on larger and longstanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation in public health, including prevention, diagnosis, surveillance and control of diseases.”
“As a rule, Nigeria welcomes scientific cooperation with all foreign countries, and has received material support from the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan etc, and also discussed vaccine production with Russia,” the NCDC added.
What you should know
- Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although it is much less severe and experts say chances of infection are low, symptoms include fever, headaches, swellings, back pain, aching muscles, however, infection usually clears up on its own and lasts between 14 and 21 days.
- The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said Nigeria recorded six cases and one death in May, they said as of 29th May 2022, a total of 21 confirmed cases with one death have been reported from 9 states and the FCT – Adamawa (5), Lagos (4), Bayelsa (2), Delta (2), Cross River (2), FCT (2), Kano (2), Imo (1), and Rivers (1).
- It added that the casualty was reported in a 40-year-old patient who had underlying co-morbidity and was on immunosuppressive medications.
- The United States government has denied involvement in the spread of Monkey Pox in Nigeria. It described the claim levied against it by the Russian government that it is responsible for the spread of the virus through its laboratories in Nigeria, as pure fabrication.