The Federal Ministry of Health has listed foods Nigerians must
avoid in other not to contract the monkey pox disease.
foods like monkey meat, bushmeat and meat from dead animals must be
avoided.This list was given by Minister of Health,
Prof. Isaac Adewole, via a statement by the Director, Media and Public
Relations in the ministry, Mrs. Boade Akinola, on Thursday.
It
was also revealed that the disease neither had a cure nor a vaccine,
noting, however, it is a mild and there should be no cause for alarm.
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.”
The minister also revealed that test samples had been sent to the World
Health Organisation (laboratory) in Senegal but the result was still
being awaited. .
He, however, called on Nigerians, who had
symptoms of fever, back pain and rashes resembling chicken pox, to
report to the hospital. The statement added,
“The symptoms include headache, fever, back pains and in advanced cases, rashes bigger than those caused by chicken pox.”
Punchng