The Director of Public Health in Osun State, Akeem Bello has dismissed reports of new monkeypox (M-pox) cases resurfacing in Ilesa.
Bello in an interview said that only two cases had been recorded since January.
“We have had only two cases this year, one in March and the latest in the last week of August.
“The new case was in Ilesa, and we promptly conducted contact tracing to determine if others had contracted the disease,” Mr Bello explained.
He confirmed that the August patient was stable and emphasised that the state government had activated an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for M-pox.
He added that staff members were undergoing training and retraining to improve their ability to identify and manage the spread of M-pox.
Mr Bello said that weekly meetings would be held to review events, and the government was fully informed.
He also noted that surveillance activities had been intensified, and research was being conducted.
Bello further said that the residents were advised to prioritise personal hygiene, as the disease was preventable.
“Although the M-pox vaccine is not readily available in Nigeria, the government has assured residents that they will receive it when it becomes available.”
Mr Bello reassured the public that the situation was under control and there was no cause for alarm.
