The government of Edo State has revealed that eight cases of monkeypox have been recorded in the state.
The state Ministry of Health urged residents to observe safety measures to reduce the spread of the virus and other infectious diseases.
Prof. Akoria Obehi, the state Commissioner for Health, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, the state capital said the ministry has rolled out proactive measures to contain the spread of infectious diseases.
According to her, “Amid the rise in the number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in Edo, it has become imperative to warn about the health risks that the virus poses and reiterate the need for residents to be cautious and adhere to safety measures.”
She, however, noted that all those who were diagnosed with the disease have recovered.
Obehi further warned residents to “Avoid contact with dead or life wild animals such as small mammals including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes).”
The Edo Health Commissioner said that the State Disease Surveillance Team has been deployed to control the outbreak in the state, alongside the engagement of stakeholders across the state’s 18 Local Government Areas.
Recall that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had officially declared the MonkeyPox disease a global pandemic as no fewer than 16,000 cases have been reported across over 70 countries.