Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge has urged the citizens not to panic because of the outbreak of Monkey Pox, saying measures had been taken to curb its spread in the state.

Azinge, who briefed journalists in Asaba on Tuesday, also urged the people to maintain high hygiene as the decease has no cure but can be managed.

He disclosed that “a total of three suspected cases have been reported in Delta State with one case still on admission and no death recorded in the state,” explaining that “Monkeypox is a rare self-limiting virus transmitted to humans from animals with symptoms in humans similar to those in small pox patients.”

“Monkey Pox virus which is transmitted to people from various wild animals. It is said to have limited secondary spread through human-to-human transmission with the case of fatality rate between 1 to 10 per cent as most deaths occur in younger age groups,” he said, adding, “there is no specific treatment or vaccine for human monkey pox infection. Infection results from direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals such as monkeys, rats or squirrel. Eating inadequately cooked meat of infected animas is a possible risk factor.”

The Commissioner, who was accompanied by his Information counterpart, Mr Patrick Ukah and top officials of Ministry of Health, urged people to avoid direct contact with animals that could harbour the virus, isolate infected patients from others who could be at risk of infection, hand washing with soap and water after contact with infected animals.

While calling on the public to call 07037120510 and 08036680784 when there are suspected cases, Azinge asserted that 75 percent of people vaccinated against small pox are not likely to have Monkey Pox.

The Commissioner used the opportunity to throw more light on the Contributory Health Commission established by the state administration saying, the scheme “is providing prepaid health services to 112,169 registered enrolees, functional in 63 secondary health facilities in the state and 100 primary health care centres as registration of civil servants under the scheme is currently in progress.”

“Asaba Central Hospital has continued to receive priority attention. It is about 75 per cent completed and government has paid all its contractual obligations to the contractor and we expect that the contractor will complete the project before the end of the year. DELSUTH (Delta State University Teaching Hospital), Oghara is coming back to its old glory with the scan and MRI now functional,” he emphasised.

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