Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has assured that its officers are on red alert at every entry point into the country to prevent the spread of the outbreak of monkeypox, a viral disease, which was confirmed in May 2022 and the new Marburg virus; a hemorrhagic fever virus said to have been discovered in Ghana; Nigeria’s West African neighbours.
The viruses considered to be extremely dangerous by the World Health Organization (WHO), which rates it as a Risk Group 4 Pathogen (requiring bio-safety level 4-equivalent containment).
According to report, the number of monkeypox cases has risen to 157 in Ghana, according to global health authorities.
In its situation report for week 30, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said the cases were recorded across 26 states since January.
From January 1 to July 31, 2022, NCDC said four deaths were recorded from 4 states – Delta (1), Lagos (1), Ondo (1) and Akwa Ibom (1).
It stated that for last week, 56 suspected cases were reported across 19 states, with Ondo topping the list after recording 13 cases.
“There were fifty-six (56) new suspected cases reported in Epi week 30, 2022 (25th to 31st July 2022) from nineteen (19) states – Ondo (13), Plateau (8), Lagos (6), Adamawa (4), Abia (3), Borno (3), Delta (2), Kano (3), Anambra (2), Bayelsa (2) , Kwara (2), Akwa Ibom (1), Gombe (1), Imo (1), Nasarawa (1), Osun (1), Oyo (1), Rivers (1) and Taraba (1),” the report read in part.
“Of fifty-six (56)suspected cases, there were twenty-four(24) new confirmed positive cases in Epi week 30, 2022 from twelve (12) states – Ondo (5), Kano (3), Lagos (3), Abia (2), Adamawa (2), Bayelsa (2), Kwara (2), Delta (1), Anambra (1), Gombe (1), Rivers (1) and Nasarawa (1).
“From 1st January to 31st July 2022, there have now been 413 suspected cases and 157 confirmed cases (105 male, 52 female) from twenty-six (26) states – Lagos (20), Ondo (14), Adamawa (13), Delta (12), Bayelsa (12), Rivers (11), Edo (8), Nasarawa (8), Plateau (6), Anambra (6), FCT (5), Taraba (5), Kwara (5), Kano (5), Imo (4), Cross River (3), Borno (3), Oyo (3), Abia (3), Gombe (3), Katsina (2), Kogi (2), Niger (1), Ogun (1), Bauchi (1) and Akwa Ibom (1).
“Four deaths were recorded from 4 states – Delta (1), Lagos (1), Ondo (1) and Akwa Ibom (1).
In a telephone chat with our correspondent the Head of the Department of Laboratory Management Services of NAQS; Mr Ebenezer Idachaba informed that owing to the widespread of the diseases, the service has placed its men at the land borders, seaports and airports on red alert to prevent further spread of the viruses into the country.
Even though he acknowledged that already, there are reported cases of the viruses in the country, he said NAQS is working assiduously to ensure that livestock coming into the country is fit and does not carry the viruses.
He also pointed out that due to border lines in the northern region, especially between Nigeria and the Niger Republic that are not clearly demarcated it may be difficult to curb the outspread.
He however said the officers of the service are presently in the region monitoring the health of the cattle and livestock in both countries.
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“We have our men manning every entry point into the country and this include the airports, land borders and the seaports.
“As soon as we heard about the spread of the monkeypox, all we did was to put our officers at the entry points on alert, because we understand that most of these viruses are transferred mostly from animals to humans, so our men are currently at each entry point to ensure that any form of livestock without appropriate check doesn’t come into the country.
“In the same way, we are ensuring that nothing goes out of the country too without appropriate check, so we are doing our part to curb the spread of the diseases, although there have been reported cases in Nigeria, if those reports are true, it then means that the quarantine does not really have much to do as that will be the responsibility of NCDC. But I can assure you that at the entry points, our men are on red alert
“At the northern region between us and Niger, our border lines are not clearly demarcated, so within that region, what we are doing is to monitor the health of the cattle and livestock that roam within that area if there is any possibility of an outbreak within that region” he said.
When contacted the Director, Port Health Services, Mrs Morenikeji Alex Okoh refused to speak to our correspondent. She simply said, “I don’t have the mandate to speak on this from the ministry, so I cannot speak to you on this except I am directed, you can reach out to the permanent secretary Ministry of Health, she will be the right person to speak on this”.
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