Monkeypox: NCDC Confirms 21 Cases, 1 Death In 9 States, FCT

The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has confirmed 21 cases of Monkeypox with one death in nine states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Centre, in its weekly epidemiological report, identified the states as Adamawa (5), Lagos (4), Bayelsa (2), Delta (2), Cross River (2), FCT (2), Kano (2), Imo (1), and Rivers (1).

“This year, as at 29th May 2022, a total of 21 confirmed cases with one death have been reported from 9 states and the FCT,” the report stated.

The Centre said the death was reported in a 40-year-old patient who had underlying co-morbidity and was on immunosuppressive medications.

However, NCDC said among the 21 cases reported in 2022 so far, there has been no evidence of any new or unusual transmission of the virus, nor changes in its clinical manifestation documented (including symptoms, profile and virulence).

The centre said Genomic surveillance was ongoing at its National Reference Laboratory in Abuja and so far all of the cases have been confirmed to be caused by West Africa clade Monkeypox virus.

NCDC noted that though Nigeria’s risk of exposure to the Monkeypox virus is high based on the recent risk assessment it conducted, the current situation in-country and globally has shown no significant threat to life or the community that can result in severe disease or high case fatality rate.

Symptoms of Monkeypox, according to the Centre include sudden fever, headache, body pain, weakness, sore throat, enlargement of glands (lymph nodes) in the neck and under the jaw, 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.