Two Cases Of Monkeypox Recorded In Kebbi As Experts Warn Against Outbreak
From Ayodele Ajoge, Birnin- Kebbi
Medical experts, in Kebbi State have warned the government and the people of the State against the possible outbreak of monkey pox if proactive step is not taken to forestall it out break just as two cases have been reported so far.
This warning was contained in a lecture delivered at the 23 edition of a seminar organized by the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi on during the week saying the cases is rising by the day in the country.
While delivering his lecture titled ‘The Trend of Monkey Pox Viral Infectious and Control Strategies, Head of infectious diseases isolation and treatment centre, Federal Teaching Hospital, Birnin Kebbi, Dr Moses Tuko Tari said two cases of the Mpox virus were recorded at the FTH and the other at Fakai, in Fakai LGA of the state this year.
He added that the cases of Mpox disease being recorded in the state and country is worrisome because the numbers are increasing by the day.
Dr Tari said the cases have been rising since 2023, 2024 and Nigeria has recorded 59 deaths with many others infected while the cases kept on rising.
“First case in Kebbi was confirmed at the FTH in Birnin Kebbi. The second case was recorded in July 2024 at Fakai local government but the little boy recovered quickly”, he said.
Tari also submitted that since the first case of animal to human transmission there is high rate of human to human transmission through respiration, skin contact and sexual transmission of the disease.
“Animals such as Monkey, rodent and squirrel are identified as carriers. Body rash and fever are symptoms”, he said.
Earlier, the second speaker, professor Balarabe Adamu Isah of the department of community medicine UDUTH, Sokoto in his lecture, Cholera Outbreak and Control in Nigeria; The Role of Environmental Sanitation and Climate Change said Nigeria records 1.3 to 4.0m cholera epidemic prone disease each year.
The university vice chancellor, professor M. Z Umar who was represented by the deputy vice chancellor administration, Professor Aliyu Turaki in his remarks said the significant of academia is for academics to collaborate and come up with useful solutions to the various Infectious diseases be bedeviling the society.
