The Nigerian government has announced that it is presently working with stakeholders to intensify surveillance and prevent the outbreak of monkeypox which is becoming a source of serious concern around the world.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Abubakar, made the disclosure on Friday in Abuja.
The official said the points of entry for wildlife were under scrutiny while awareness among hunting communities is ongoing.
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He noted that the disease could affect farmers and cause low agricultural production and productivity if unchecked.
Abubakar advised the public to avoid contact with animals that are sick, found dead, and their items.
The minister called for increased hygiene, hand washing and the use of alcohol-based sanitizers after contact with infected animals or humans.
He assured Nigerians and foreign countries of continued collaboration with relevant sectors to promptly contain the disease in the event of an outbreak.
Monkeypox, first detected in 1958 in monkeys and rodents, is now transmissble to man and other animals. The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion.
Meanwhile, US President, Joe Biden has declared that people should be on guard against the Monkeypox disease which has the potential for ‘consequential’ impact if allowed to spread further.
Several cases of monkeypox have been detected in North America and Europe since early May, sparking concern the disease, endemic in parts of Africa, is spreading.
The US leader, on his maiden trip to Asia as president, said in Seoul that health officials have not fully briefed him about “the level of exposure” in the United States.
‘But it is something that everybody should be concerned about,’ Biden told reporters before boarding Air Force One to fly to Tokyo.
‘It is a concern in that if it were to spread it would be consequential,’ he added.
