Reports of suspected cases of Monkey Pox disease in Akwa Ibom State have seriously threatened bush meat business in the state, investigation has revealed.
Scared by the possibility of contacting the disease, many have lost the appetite for bush meat and poultry products.
Our correspondent reports Thursday that the business of bush meat and poultry products especially chicken cooked and dried along the road have begun to take a downward trend as their customers no longer patronize them.
Akwa Ibom State is the third to be listed among states with suspected cases of Monkey Pox disease after earlier cases have been reported in Bayelsa and Rivers states.
he state commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, while briefing newsmen on Monday said about four suspected cases have been reported in the state.
He said “samples of the cases have been taken to Senegal for confirmation”, adding that there was no such facility to verify it in Nigeria.
But our reporter who went round the town to monitor developments reports that even as confirmation of the cases are yet to made public, residents of the state, especially those who patronise bush meat and chicken vendors along the roads are becoming scary of the products.
This is even worsened by regular jingles sponsored by the state Ministry of Health against eating of bush meat.
The campaign which advises on precautionary measures also works against contacts with animals.
A regular customer at the Confidence Bar, along Aka Road, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, who would not want his name in print said in a chat with our reporter: “I am scared about taking anything bush meat now because you can’t be sure that it is properly cooked or not.”
READ ALSO: Monkey Pox: More states record suspected cases
But the barman who simply identified himself as Ekong, said though there was generally poor sale, pointed out that the situation was made worse “because of the news that we have heard about the disease called Monkey Pox.”
“Bush meat business is not as good as before,” Ekong stressed, adding that people who would normally take bush meat only come in to take palm wine and beer and nothing more.
At the Eden Garden along Uyo Village Road, a visitor to the place, Mr. Ekponta Iniobong, said “I come to this place regularly to eat grass cutter, because it s my favourite meat, and sometime I don’t meet it because of the hot demand for it.
“But now you can get it at any quantity and at a lower cost because of this news of Monkey Pox.”
Mr. Samuel Okon, who kills and dries chicken and other dairy products along Urua Junction, Uyo painted a more pathetic picture.
He said, “I used to sell between two to three chickens every day making between N7,000 – N8,000 but since this week started I have sold nothing.”
He called on government to come out with the true position of Monkey Pox disease instead of discouraging people from eating meat.
