Kano reports suspected case of Monkeypox

Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabul Getso, has confirmed that a suspected case of Monkeypox has been recorded in Bebeji Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner told journalists  in Kano that blood sample of the victim had been sent to Abuja for clinical verification.

He added that, “one of the symptoms of the disease was noticed in the patient, but we are suspecting that the diseases is more of Chickens pox than monkey pox”.

He said the suspected victim has been isolated and put on intensive clinical watch until the result of the sample was received.

“The State also identified 60 people who had contacts with the victims and all of them have been quarantine,” he said.

The Commissioner said that a team has put the entire area where the suspected case was recorded under clinical watch, adding that the state has establishment a special clinic to handle any outbreak.

“For now only 11 States are affected by the monkeypox disease and 94 persons are the victims out of which only six are confirmed.

“The Kano case from Bebeji Local Government is yet to be confirmed. The blood sampling will take three weeks before it is ready,” he said.

Monkeypox outbreak was first reported in Bayelsa on Sept. 22, while it spread to adjourning states such as Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and recently Ekiti, Ogun and Lagos.

The zoonotic disease was first discovered in Nigeria in 1970 when two cases were discovered as a virus in the like of smallpox which occurred in the colonies of monkeys.

Following its resemblance to smallpox, it was named Monkeypox. The first recorded case was in Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, in 1971, Nigeria reported the first case of Monkeypox where two cases were established. In 1978, there was one case of Monkeypox.

Monkeypox is a rare zoonotic disease caused by contact with the monkeypox virus that belongs to the same family of viruses that include Variola Virus.

The Monkeypox virus can cause an illness with a generalised vesicular skin rash, fever and painful jaw swelling. Previous outbreaks have led to death in about 1 to 10 per cent of infected cases.

There is no specific medicine to treat the disease, but intensive supportive care helps patients to recover fully.