A monkeypox victim on admission at the Niger Delta
University Teaching Hospital (UNDTH), Okolobiri, Bayelsa State has committed
suicide. It is now understood that the unnamed victim hung himself in the early
hours of Monday.
Speaking on the development at a joint press conference by the
state information and health commissioners, Daniel Iworiso-Markson and Prof.
Ebitimitula Etebu respectively, along with the NDUTH Chief Medical Director,
Prof. Dimie Ogoina and other senior health officials, Etebu said the deceased
was among the 21 suspected cases of “monkeypox” being managed at the teaching
hospital. He said the patient took his own life despite speedily recovering
from the disease and added that the patient’s medical history did not suggest
any mental illness or depression. He emphasised that the patient did not die of
monkeypox and that the police and his family had been contacted and all due
diligence was being followed for his funeral. He said a committee would
evaluate his past and recent clinical and social history to determine “if there
were undisclosed mental illness or personal family problem that could have
justified the suicide”. Iworiso-Markson urged residents to continue to use
preventive measures, such as avoiding bushmeat and other known causes of the
disease. Three cases of monkeypox have been confirmed after laboratory
analysis, all of which are in Bayelsa State where the outbreak was first
reported in September. Health Minister Prof. Isaac Adewole told reporters in
Abuja on Monday that the outcome of the tests from the World Health
Organisation (WHO) reference laboratory in Senegal confirmed only three of 21
suspected cases with 12 returning negative. A report on two further cases was
being awaited. He also said that four suspected cases in Lagos turned out
negative. The minister also noted that further investigations would be carried
out on the negative results to confirm the nature of the medical emergency.
“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,” Adewole said. “Of these, four cases from Lagos have
also been tested and confirmed to be negative for the monkeypox virus.” The
minister added that “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.” He
added: “Further laboratory tests using whole genome sequencing are being
carried out by the Africa Centre for Genomics and Infectious Diseases in
Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State.” Adewole reassured Nigerians that there
was no reason to panic as the West African strain of the monkeypox virus was
milder than its East Africa cousin, which explained the lack of casualties at
this point. This, he said, explained why there has not been any casualty.
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