By Asmau Ahmad
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 172 cases of monkeypox across 27 states in the country.
The National health agency revealed this in its latest monkeypox situation report for week 31.
Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. It is a rare viral zoonotic disease transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding.
Nigeria is one of the countries in Africa where the disease is endemic.
The NCDC said from January 1 to August 7, 2022, four deaths were recorded in four states – Delta (1), Lagos (1), Ondo (1), and Akwa Ibom (1).
The report also disclosed that there were at least 473 cases of the disease in the country.
The report read in part, “Sixty (60) new suspected cases were reported in Epi week 31, 2022 from nineteen (19) states – Ebonyi (8), Abia (5), Adamawa (5), Ondo (5), Taraba (5), FCT (4), Imo (4), Lagos (4), Ogun (4), Edo (3), Anambra (2), Gombe (2), Kwara (2), Rivers (2), Cross River (1), Oyo (1), Kano (1), Nasarawa (1) and Niger (1)
“Of sixty (60) suspected cases, fifteen (15) new confirmed cases have been recorded in Epi week 31 from ten (10) states – Imo (3), FCT (2), Ondo (2), Rivers (2), Abia (1), Anambra (1), Ebonyi (1), Edo (1), Ogun (1) and Nasarawa (1).
“From 1st January to 7th August 2022, there have now been 473 suspected cases with 172 confirmed cases (115 male, 57 female) from twenty-seven (27) states – Lagos (20), Ondo (16), Adamawa (13), Rivers (13), Delta (12), Bayelsa (12), Edo (9), Nasarawa (9), Anambra (7), FCT (7), Imo (7), Plateau (6), Taraba (5), Kwara (5), Kano (5), Abia (4), Cross River (3), Borno (3), Oyo (3), Gombe (3), Katsina (2), Kogi (2), Ogun (2), Niger (1), Bauchi (1), Akwa Ibom (1) and Ebonyi (1).
“Four associated deaths have been recorded from 4 states in 2022 – Delta (1), Lagos (1), Ondo (1) and Akwa Ibom (1).
“Overall, since the re-emergence of monkeypox in September 2017, 985 suspected cases have been reported from 35 states in the country.
“Twelve (12) deaths have been recorded (CFR= 3.0%) since September 2017 in nine states – Lagos (3), Edo (2), Imo (1), Cross River (1), FCT (1), Rivers (1), Ondo (1) Delta (1) and Akwa Ibom (1).”
“There are ongoing efforts to strengthen surveillance at National and sub-national levels, to increase awareness, and to promptly detect and respond to the outbreak,” it added.
According to a recent Instagram post by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, the NCDC has recorded 20 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Lagos State.
“It is very important to report to a health facility immediately if you or any person develops symptoms of monkeypox. Avoid self-medication,” Abayomi stressed.
