By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Nigerians have been warned against consumption of undercooked bush meat so as not to contract the deadly Mpox virus.

The President of the Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (ARD-UITH), Dr. Yusuf Muhammed, who gave the warning during a chat with journalists on Monday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, also stressed the need by the people people to avoid any contact with dead animals.

It would be recalled that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently declared that the outbreak of Mpox in parts of Africa was now a public health emergency of international concern.

According to the President of ARD-UITH, no fewer than 450 people had died during an initial outbreak of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, adding that the disease has since spread to parts of Central and East Africa, as well as Sweden.

He said: “The disease can spread through close contact such as touching, kissing or sex, as well as through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing and needles.

“Mpox is a zoonotic infection that affects animals and can be transferred to humans.

“Mpox is not entirely new, but at some points new strains commonly appear, and in recent times, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has sent warning that the strain that is currently detected is a new one.

“The fear is that the antibody that humans have may not be able to protect against it like the strain that occured before. This poses significant threat to people and everybody should be on the lookout.”

Initial symptoms, according to him, are typically flu-like, including fever, chills, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness, often followed by a painful or itchy rash with raised lesions that scab over.

He, however, advised Nigerians not to panic, but to report suspected cases to the nearest health institution for prompt investigation and contact tracing.