FMC OWERRI ADMITS 3 SUSPECTED MONKEY POX PATIENTS
Three suspect
ed cases of monkey pox disease have been recorded at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Imo State.
The Acting Head of Clinical Services at the Centre, Dr. Azubuike Ododo announced this at a sensitization organized for health workers in Owerri.
He said the patients had been quarantined at the Centre and their blood samples sent to Lagos for further investigations.
Dr. Ododo said the essence of the programme was to sensitize health workers especially those in private facilities to possible ways of avoiding the spread of monkey pox disease in the State.
A health expert, Dr. Chinonso Ekwueme who delivered a lecture at the programme identified rashes on the face, fever, joint pains and severe headache as some of the symptoms of the disease.
“Usually it can resolve without medication. However, people who have the disease need to be given some kind of supportive treatment, like ensuring that they eat well, drink enough fluid, take care of the rashes and eventually they get better. There is no known standard treatment for the disease. My advice to them is that they should not panic, it is not a deadly infection; it is not like Ebola or Lassa, so there is no need to panic.”
The Director Public Health and Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Imo State, Dr. Austin Okeji, advised Nigerians to stay away from bush meats or rodents to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.
He said the state government had taken measures to combat the scourge.
Our correspondent reports that residents of the state have been apprehensive since the rumour of the disease in the state.
CHINAZO ILECHUKWU