Nigeria recorded six cases of monkeypox and one death from the disease in May.
The latest report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) published Sunday evening showed the country has witnessed an increase in cases since January.
The NCDC said Nigeria’s risk of exposure to the Monkeypox virus was high based on the recent risk assessment it conducted.
Up to 29 May, a total of 21 confirmed cases have been reported from nine states and the FCT – Adamawa (5), Lagos (4), Bayelsa (2), Delta (2), Cross River (2), FCT (2), Kano (2), Imo (1), and Rivers (1).
Only one death has been reported in a 40-year-old patient who had underlying co-morbidity and was on immunosuppressive medications.
The NCDC said it set up a National Technical Working Group (TWG) to monitor infections and strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness and response capacity.
Genomic surveillance was ongoing at NCDC’s National Reference Laboratory in Abuja and so far all of the cases have been confirmed to be caused by the West African clade Monkeypox virus.
The Agency said that the Emergency Operations Centre for Monkeypox would continue to monitor the evolving situation to inform public health action accordingly.
Outbreak in Non-Endemic Countries
Monkeypox is an uncommon disease caused by infection with the Monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family.
It is endemic to four West and Central African countries – Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and the Central African Republic.
It has, however, been reported in other countries of the world in 2022, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Italy.
As of 25 May, 219 confirmed cases have been reported in a worldwide outbreak, including 118 across Europe.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, body pain, weakness, sore throat, and enlargement of glands (lymph nodes) in the neck and under the jaw.
These can be followed by the appearance of a rash (often solid or fluid-filled at the onset) on the face, palms, soles of the feet, genitals, and other parts of the body.
