Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, and Prevention said Nigeria has recorded 48 confirmed Mpox cases out of 868 suspected cases across 35 local government areas in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
This was revealed in the Mpox situation report for week 34 (August 25) posted on the agency’s website yesterday.
The report, however, showed that no death has been recorded from the disease so far this year.
It said, “57 new suspected cases were reported in Epi week 34, 2024, compared with 25 cases reported in the previous week (Epi week 33).
“Eight confirmed cases were reported in week 34 compared with one confirmed case reported in week 33, 2024.
“20 states and the FCT have recorded at least one confirmed case across 35 local government areas in 2024,” the report partly read.
The age distribution of the cumulative number of confirmed Mpox cases showed that 17 cases were recorded among ages 0-10, seven cases were recorded among ages 11-20, nine cases were recorded among 21-30, eight cases were recorded among ages 31-40, and seven cases were recorded among ages 41-50.
The cases were recorded in Lagos (one), Rivers (two), Bayelsa (six), Abia (one), Delta (two), Imo (one), Edo (one), FCT (two), Anambra (two), Cross River (five).
Others are Plateau (two), Akwa Ibom (four), Nasarawa (one), Oyo (one), Kaduna (one), Ebonyi (one), Benue (three), Enugu (eight), Osun (two), Kebbi (one), and Zamfara (one).
Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e. an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests. It is caused by the Mpox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
Orthopoxvirus genus also includes the variola virus (the cause of smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox eradication vaccine) and cowpox virus (used in earlier smallpox vaccines). Following the eradication of smallpox, Mpox virus has emerged as the most significant Orthopox virus.
On August 13, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a public health emergency of continental security, acting under its mandate to address significant public health threats.
NCDC noted that the National Mpox multi-sectoral and multi-partner Emergency Operation Centre continues to coordinate response in the country.
