Three suspected cases of monkeypox disease have been reported and confirmed in Lagos State in the last one month.
Commissioner for Health in the state, Professor Akin Abayomi, revealed this at the biosecurity update meeting on the situation report of the disease held recently.
According to a statement posted on the government’s Facebook on Saturday, the commissioner explained that the cases reported by health facilities were positive for monkeypox as revealed by reports of laboratory investigation.
He, however, said, “The patients who were treated at the specialised infectious disease isolation centre of Mainland Hospital, Yaba have since recovered and have been discharged.
“The close contacts and family members of these cases were actively monitored for 21 days for any development of signs and symptoms of monkeypox and none of these contacts develop any symptoms.”
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Professor Abayomi stressed the need for residents to ensure and maintain adequate personal and environmental hygiene at all times, as part of precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases.
He urged residents to observe the highest possible standards of personal and environmental hygiene, especially through regular washing of hands with soap and running water.
The Commissioner gave assurance that there was no cause to panic, adding that the state government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health through the Centre for Disease Control was maintaining relevant surveillance activities in all local government areas to prevent an outbreak of the disease.
He explained that the State Epidemiology and the monkeypox focal persons from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had earlier carried out sensitisation for clinicians and community members in some local government areas of the state three months ago to increase awareness and reporting of any suspected case.
Professor Abayomi advised health workers to ensure that they take precautions when dealing with patients in line with the best standard of practice.
He said, “Health workers are advised to observe universal safety precautions when dealing with patients and report any suspected case of monkeypox to the Medical Officer of Health in their local government or the Directorate of Disease Control through these lines: 08023169485 and 08023377487”.
