…Akwa Ibom, Enugu highest
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has announced that 67 confirmed cases of Mpox have been recorded in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory, out of 1,031 suspected cases.
This was disclosed at a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the NCDC, the states with confirmed cases are Akwa-Ibom (8), Enugu (8), Bayelsa (6), Cross River (5), Benue (4), Plateau (4), Delta (4), FCT (3), Imo (3), Lagos (3), Rivers (2), Abia (2), Osun (2), Anambra (2), Ogun (2), Kaduna (1), Gombe (1), Edo (1), Niger (1), Ebonyi (1), Nasarawa (1), Kebbi (1), and Oyo (1).
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, stated that the agency was enhancing surveillance in states to ensure accurate detection.
“We are working with the port health authority to prevent the importation of Clade I of Mpox into the country. The port health authority is also working with border states to ensure prevention of the clade into the country,” he said.
Idris further noted that not all laboratories across the country have the same capabilities to test Mpox. “So, we are optimising our laboratories to detect so that we don’t have to carry samples across states. We are also involved in awareness creation.”
Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and between humans. It is endemic in parts of Africa, especially in the tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa. Transmission from animals can occur through direct contact with infected animals or their body fluids. Human-to-human transmission is primarily through direct contact with an infected person or contaminated materials.
Symptoms of Mpox include fever, headache, body aches, weakness, swollen lymph nodes, and a distinctive rash that usually starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. The rash can also affect the palms, soles, and genital areas, making sexual contact a possible route of transmission.