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Gombe govt confirms three cases of monkeypox

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The Gombe State government has confirmed three cases of monkeypox in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, confirmed the development at a media briefing on Tuesday in Gombe.

He said the cases had been treated and discharged.

Dahiru said: “We have 19 suspected cases in the state, samples were collected from the suspected cases and three returned positive for monkeypox virus.

“The cases presented were having fever which lasted more than a week despite treatment for common causes of fever.

“They developed rashes on their face and other parts of their body which prompted the suspicion of monkeypox.

“In the light of the above, I hereby declare the outbreak of monkeypox in Gombe State.”

READ ALSO: WHO declares monkeypox global health emergency

The commissioner described monkeypox as a rare viral zoonotic disease with an incubation period of 5 to 21 days.

He added: “It has two phases of symptoms which include fever, headaches, body pain, body weakness and lymph node swelling.

“Other symptoms are body rashes that start from the face and subsequently spread to the other parts of the body including palms and soles of feet.

“The disease can be transmitted from infected animal to human through direct contact or body fluid and waste product of infected animal.

“Also, human to human transmission occurs directly through contact with body fluids of an infected person or indirectly through contact with surfaces contaminated by a patient.”

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