The Federal Government has denied the report that the outbreak of Monkey Pox in some parts of the country resulted from the alleged free medical care by the government in the affected areas.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement on Sunday, said Nigerians should disregard the report which, apparently, is being spread by some unscrupulous persons to fit into a sinister agenda.
Lai Mohammed said, ”The Federal Government has not conducted any free medical service or care in either Bayelsa or Rivers state, as alleged in the fake report being circulated. So that could not have been the cause of the outbreak of Monkey Pox in both states.
“Monkey Pox is a virus found only in monkeys and it is rare in human beings. It belongs to the same family as Chicken Pox and Smallpox.
”It is suspected that someone may have contacted it by eating monkey meat, thus triggering the current outbreak.”
Monkeypox epidemic was first recorded in Bayelsa with three other suspected cases in Rivers State and one other confirmed case in Akwa Ibom.