MonkeyPox Virus: Ministry of Health Advises Against Consumption of Certain Foods | See List

Following the outbreak of a rare deadly viral disease known as monkey pox in Bayelsa state, the Federal Ministry of Health has listed foods Nigerians must avoid in other not to contract the disease.

Foods listed include monkeys, bush meat and dead animals, Punch reports.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, gave the advice in a statement by the Director, Media and Public Relations in the ministry, Boade Akinola, yesterday.

According to the minister, the disease neither had a cure nor a vaccine, noting, however, that there was no cause for alarm as it was mild.

The statement read in part,

”He (Adewole) said the virus was mild and there was no known treatment and no preventive vaccines , hence the public should be at alert and avoid crowded places as much as possible.

He advised the public to avoid eating dead animals, bushmeat and particularly bush monkeys.”

He also revealed that test samples had been sent to the World Health Organisation (laboratory ) in Senegal but the result was still being awaited.

Meanwhile, he called on Nigerians, who had symptoms of fever, back pain and rashes resembling chicken pox, to report to the hospital.

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”The symptoms include headache, fever, back pains and in advanced cases, rashes bigger than those caused by chicken pox,” it added.

It was reported that a medical doctor and 10 others were down with the disease and were being quarantined in an isolation centre at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

People who have been infected have been advised to come out of hiding to get proper care and limit further spread of the viral disease.

Proper hygiene like hand washing and limiting contact with dead animals has been advised.

Monkey pox is an air borne and highly infectious disease.