Lagos State government has alerted residents to maintain adequate personal and environmental hygiene as part of precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases, including Monkey pox which was recently reported in the state.
Akin Abayomi, the state commissioner for health, while updating on Monkey pox disease on Friday, noted that “highest possible standards of personal and environmental hygiene especially through regular washing of hands with soap and running water and paying attention to environmental exposure” was required.
Giving details about the outbreak of the disease in Lagos, he said three suspected cases were reported by health facilities in the past one month noting that the cases were positive for Monkey Pox as revealed by reports of laboratory investigation.
“The patients were treated at the specialised infectious disease isolation centre of Mainland Hospital, Yaba have since recovered and have been discharged. The close contacts and family members of these cases were actively monitored for 21 days for any development of signs and symptoms of monkey pox and none of these contacts develop any symptoms”, Abayomi said.
He, however, said there was no cause for panic, as the state government in collaboration with the federal ministry of health and Centre for Disease Control, is keeping surveillance in all local government areas to prevent an escalation of the disease.
He explained that the State Epidemiology and the Monkey pox focal persons from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had earlier carried out sensitisation for clinicians and community members in some local government areas of the State three months ago to increase awareness and reporting of any suspected case.
He advised health workers to ensure that they take universal safety precautions when dealing with patients stressing that appropriate personal protective clothings must be worn when attending to cases of contagious infectious diseases.
JOSHUA BASSEY
