Following the resurgence of Monkeypox in the country, with 21 cases and one death recorded by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Federal government has banned the sales of bush meat and also urged hunters to take a break for health safety’s sake.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar, who gave the order on Tuesday in Abuja, said there was need to prevent the spread, to avoid more deaths, after NCDC disclosed that one person had already died from the virus.
Abubakar also noted that the ministry was collaborating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other stakeholders in the One Health Team to ensure the situation is contained and brought under control.
According to him: “People must avoid contact with persons suspected to be infected with Monkeypox at home and at work places.
“Hunters and dealers of ‘bush meat’ must desist from the practice forthwith to prevent any possibility of a ‘spill over’ of the pathogen in Nigeria.
“Transport of wild animals and their products within and across the borders should be suspended/restricted
“Silos, stores and other agricultural storage facilities must institute active rodent control measures to prevent contacts and possible contamination of Monkeypox Virus with foodstuff. All operators of zoos, parks, conservation and recreational centres keeping non-human primates in their domains must ensure strict compliance with their biosecurity protocols aimed at preventing their contacts with humans.
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