No confirmed monkey pox in Abuja, says FCTA

Contrary to the rumour of the outbreak of monkey pox in some hospitals in the FCT, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Health and Human Services secretariat has dismissed rumour of suspected outbreak of the dreaded disease in Abuja.

The secretariat also announced that its public health workers are on ground to police any outbreak subsequently, as public health workers are at every community in readiness to any occurrence.

However, the Administration revealed that seven suspected cases have been recorded in four FCT Hospitals with samples of six victims taken and sent to Senegal for test and confirmation.

This was disclosed by Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), Amanda Pam, while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

According to her, “three suspected cases were recorded in National Hospital, two in Gwarinpa Hospital, one each in University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada and Nyanya General Hospital.”

Barrister Pam said the recorded cases were that of chicken pox, which shares similar appearance to monkey pox.

It would be recalled that recently there was rumored two cases of monkey pox diseases at Gwarinpa General Hospital, Abuja.

“Though we have some suspected cases but samples were collected and sent to the lab in Gaduwa, where it was confirmed that it was chicken pox but we have sent the sample again Senegal for a confirmation test.

So we are waiting for the results but from all indications, it is not monkey pox.

“But I think I like the suspicion because it’s better to suspect than to ignore it and it later turns out to be positive.

“The truth now is that there is no confirmed case of monkey pox disease in FCT”, she stressed.

Explaining further, Acting Director, Public Health FCT, Humphrey Okoroukwu, disclosed that he had already visited the said hospital, reaffirming that no case of the virus was found.

He said surveillance officers from the public health department of the FCTA are being deployed to the 62 wards of the territory, as a precautionary measure against threatening health issues.

Recall that the Federal Government through Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) had confirmed suspected outbreak of monkey pox in 7 states in Nigeria, which included Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun and Cross River states.