The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says there are 55 confirmed cases of monkeypox (Mpox) in Nigeria.
The centre made this known through its official website, noting that the 55 cases were confirmed out of 935 suspected cases in 39 local government areas in 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The agency said no deaths from the disease have been recorded so far this year, adding that 70 percent of the reported cases were men, while 30 percent were women.
He noted that “the age distribution of confirmed Mpox cases revealed that 19 cases were recorded in ages 0 to 10 years, eight cases in ages 11 to 20 years and 12 cases in ages 21 to 30 years.
“In addition, eight cases were recorded in people aged between 31 and 40 years, seven cases in people aged between 41 and 50 years and one case in a person aged 50 years or older.”
The NCDC provided the breakdown of confirmed cases in the various states, including eight from Enugu, six from Bayelsa, six from Akwa Ibom, five from Cross River, three from Delta, three from Benue and three from Plateau.
Others are: Osun (two), Imo (two), FCT (two), Anambra (two), Rivers (two), Abia (two), while Lagos, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Edo, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger had one case each.
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NCDC explained that “since September 2017, 4,752 suspected cases have been reported from 36 states and the FCT, with 1,141 confirmed cases (24.0 percent) from 35 states and the FCT with 17 deaths. Males (~70 percent) are predominantly affected.”
Nigeria's public health agency said the national Mpox multi-sectoral and multi-partner Emergency Operations Centre has continued to coordinate responses across the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus similar to smallpox, although generally less severe, characterized by symptoms such as fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
The disease can spread from animals to humans, as well as between humans through close contact, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a global public health emergency in August, while the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, acting under its mandate to address significant threats to public health, also declared Mpox a continental security public health emergency on 13 August.
While the Democratic Republic of the Congo is at the epicentre of the outbreak, Mpox cases have been reported in at least 13 African countries, with Guinea recently confirming its first case.
The virus has also been detected in Pakistan, the Philippines, Sweden and Thailand.
(YAYA)