Monkeypox is a viral disease that produces pox lesions on the skin and is closely related to smallpox but is not nearly as deadly as smallpox was. Majority of cases are transmitted from animals to humans by direct contact. Person-to-person transfer, probably by droplets, can occur infrequently.
Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states have reported cases of the disease.
“It is suspected that someone may have contracted it by eating monkey meat, thus triggering the current outbreak,” Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said in a statement on Sunday.
With panic growing about monkeypox and so much misinformation going around, here are five ways to prevent the disease.
- Avoid contact with animals that could harbour the virus including animals that are sick or that have been found dead in areas where monkeypox occurs.
- Avoid contact with any materials, such as bedding, that has been in contact with a sick animal.
- Avoid eating undercooked meat from infected animals.
- Isolate infected patients from others who could be at risk for infection.
- Practice good hand hygiene after contact with infected animals or humans. For example, washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
