Ebun Francis || Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris on Monday said that two cases of the strange but dreaded viral disease Monkeypox has been reported in Lagos.
Idris at a press conference said that the two individuals suspected with the virus have already been quarantined. He also noted that it had become necessary to sensitise Lagosians about the outbreak of the disease which is rapidly spreading to many parts of the country.
Idris said, “Though no confirmed case has been recorded, there is the need to sensitise members of the public and provide adequate information on measures for prevention and control of the disease in line with the policy of the state government.”
“I need to state that though there is no specific vaccine for the disease, vaccination against Smallpox has been proven to be 85 percent effective in preventing Monkeypox. There is also no specific anti-viral therapy for Monkeypox, however, the disease is self-limiting and could be managed conservatively.
“The preventive measures to be taken against the spread of the disease include; avoiding close contact with infected people; avoiding consumption of bushmeat and dead animals; cooking of meat and meat product thoroughly before eating and washing hands with soap and running water frequently and thoroughly.”
Monkeypox was first reported in Bayelsa last Thursday but the disease has since spread to Rivers, Akwa Ibom and now Lagos State.