A victim of Monkey Pox receiving treatment at the quarantine centre in the Niger Delta University Hospital (UNDTH) Okolobiri, has committed suicide.
It was gathered that the victim, whose name was not disclosed, took his life in the early hours of Monday.
The Bayelsa State Government confirmed the development in a joint press conference involving the Commissioners of Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson; Health, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu, the Chief Medical Director, NDUTH, Prof. Dimie Ogoina and other senior health officials.
Etebu disclosed that the deceased was among the 21 suspected cases of ‘MonkeyPox’ that were being managed at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH).
He expressed regret that the patient took his own life despite speedily recovering from the disease.
He said the deceased medical history did not suggest any mental illness or features of depression.
He maintained that the patient did not die from the Monkey pox disease.
Etebu said that the police and his family had been duly contacted and all due diligence was being followed for his funeral.
He sympathised with the family and said that a committee had been put in place to evaluate his past and recent clinical and social history.
He said the examination wound determine “if there were undisclosed mental illness or personal family problem that could have justified the suicide”.
Etebu confirmed that MonkeyPox is in the state following laboratory evidence which puts to rest the earlier suspicion of the disease.
He, however, assured the general public again that the government was doing everything to contain the outbreak and ensure all patients receive appropriate care and treatment.
On his part, Iworiso-Markson on his part urged residents to continue to use preventive measures and ensure they avoid bushmeats and other causes of the disease.
Iworiso-Markson on his part urged residents to continue to use preventive measures and ensure they avoid bushmeat and other causes of the disease.
The Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Police Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, confirmed the development, saying the matter had been reported to the police.
He, however, said the police were not suspecting any foul play , noting that there were no visible marks of violence other than the rope he tied around his neck.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Health says all the Monkey Pox test samples obtained from Lagos tested negative.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this during a press conference in Abuja on Monday.
He said only four cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Nigeria.
Adewole said, “As of October 13, 2017, there were 17 SUSPECTED cases reported from Yenagoa LGA in Bayelsa State.
“We have received laboratory confirmation for Monkeypox virus from three of these cases from the WHO Regional Laboratory in Dakar, Senegal. Samples from 12 other cases from Bayelsa were negative.
“With these results, four suspected Monkeypox outbreak in Yenagoa have been confirmed with laboratory evidence. The most likely source of infection is a primary zoonotic transmission, from an animal, with secondary person-to-person transmission.
“Since our initial announcement, a total of 43 other SUSPECTED cases have been reported from eight other States (Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ekiti, Lagos, Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, and FCT). Of these, four cases from Lagos have also been tested and confirmed to be negative for the Monkeypox virus.
“We expect that many of these cases being reported from other states in Nigeria are not caused by the Monkeypox virus, but we will continue to investigate all those cases that fit the case definition.
“Further laboratory tests using whole genome sequencing are being carried out by the Africa Centre for Genomics and Infectious Diseases in Redeemers University Ede, Ogun State.”
