No case of monkeypox in Anambra, Commissioner assures

Anambra state commissioner of Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike has assured that the dreaded monkeypox disease already ravaging some states in the country has not been discovered anywhere in the state. He also said that the disease cannot be contracted through injection or vaccination. This assurance comes after rumours sparked anxiety across the entire South East […]

Anambra state commissioner of Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike has assured that the dreaded monkeypox disease already ravaging some states in the country has not been discovered anywhere in the state.

He also said that the disease cannot be contracted through injection or vaccination.

This assurance comes after rumours sparked anxiety across the entire South East region, alleging that school children were being injected with Monkeypox vaccine by the military which led to the death of some children in the state.

Addressing newsmen in his office in Awka, Akabuike explained that the ugly incident was as a result of communication gap between the ministry and the Army, saying the medical mission of the military to the state was misconstrued.

"The military was there for a routine medical mission with some doctors and nurses. They did not visit any school neither did they administer any injection or vaccination on anybody as rumored," he said.

He however justified the reaction of the residents to the rumor, cautioning that proper channels should be followed when any medical exercise was to be carried out in the state in order to avert any future recurrence.

The commissioner also noted that the ongoing routine immunization exercise by the ministry would continue as any stop to it would be detrimental in view of its immense benefits especially in the fight against communicable diseases like polio and measles.

According to Akabuike, the ministry has already taken some proactive measures to forestall the disease from gaining entrance into the state, including reactivation of its rapid response team and isolated centres.

He said the state has activated a rapid response team, isolated camps as well as sensitization campaign to educate the public about the disease.

"The disease is usually transmitted by direct contact with infected animals or by eating poorly cooked meat from an infected rodent or monkey, person to person through infected respiratory droplets.

"Monkeypox is a relatively uncommon disease. Risk factors include animal bites and scratches from infected animals mainly monkeys.

"There is no vaccine for treatment of the disease. We administer the common ones used for the treatment of small pox," he said.