Katsina records 4 cases of monkey pox – Health Commissioner

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By Faith Awa Maji, Katsina

THE Katsina State Commissioner for Health, Engr. Yakubu Danja has on Tuesday confirmed four cases of Monkey pox in the State.

The Commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Hajiya Mustapha Kabir, made this known at a briefing organised for health workers in Katsina.

He said the confirmed cases were gotten from the 27 suspected cases recently sent for laboratory tests. “The 27 suspected cases were from 9 undisclosed Local Government Areas in the State.

“We have been familiar with episodes of outbreaks in Katsina State of diseases like Cholera, Cerebro-spinal Meningitis, Lassa Fever
Measles and the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2019. Monkey Pox Pandemic is recently gaining momentum.

“Our attention will focus more today on monkeypox. It is important to mention that the State has so far identified 27 persons from 9 Local Government Areas suspected to have symptoms of monkeypox as at last week of this Month.

“Though no life was lost in the State due to this disease since the beginning of the outbreak. Samples were collected and tested in the Laboratory from all the 27 suspected persons out of whom 4 were confirmed positive for monkeypox. The affected individuals have been treated and are fully recovered with no life loss.

“We still have pending 14 samples in the laboratory, awaiting final results.

“From January to date, about 803 suspected cases of Cholera were identified, out of which 53 were confirmed positive with Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) across the State” Danja noted.

He further said the identified cases were placed on free treatment jointly by the State, Local Government Areas and partners with very good outcome.

The Health Commissioner said, the State Government have continued to control COVID-19 saying the current figures recorded as at last week in the State were 2,431 cases with 37
related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in the State in early 2020.

He also said as part of measures to curtain the spread of monkeypox, and other related disease outbreaks in the State, the Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) were activated, Rapid Response Team were deployed and active case search as well as sensitization on Infection Prevention and Control among others are on going.

Danja also said that additional healthcare workers had been trained on cases management and infection Prevention and control measures.