Nigeria Confirms Outbreak Of Monkeypox With 558 Cases, 8 Deaths

Category: Health Matters

Following a report, on Sunday, by the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) that a person in England had been diagnosed with Monkeypox, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed circulation of the disease with 558 cases and eight deaths in 32 states of the federation.

The UKHSA said the patient had recently travelled from Nigeria. It said the person is receiving care at the Infectious Disease Unit of Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.

Monkeypox is a rare viral infection, which kills one in every 10 patients, but does not spread swiftly. An epidemiological summary on the ailment published, yesterday, by the NCDC, pointed out that since September 2017, Nigeria has continued to report sporadic cases of the disease, with a National Technical Working Group (TWG) monitoring infections and strengthening preparedness/response capacity.

The centre said 46 suspected infections were reported between January 1 and April 30 this year in addition to 15 confirmed cases from seven states –Adamawa (three), Lagos (three), Cross River (two), Abuja (two), Kano (two), Delta (two) and Imo (one) – but no death had been recorded.

The NCDC said 10 new suspected cases in April were reported from seven states – Bayelsa (three), Lagos (two), Kano (one), FCT (one), Delta (one), Edo (one) and Ogun (one).

The five new positive cases in the month were confirmed from four states – Lagos (two), FCT (one), Kano (one) and Delta (one).
From September 2017 to April 30, 2022, a total of 558 suspected cases were reported from 32 states.

It noted that of the reported cases, 241 (43.2 per cent) have been confirmed in 22 states – Rivers (52), Bayelsa (43), Lagos (33), Delta (31), Cross River (16), Edo (10), Imo (nine), Akwa Ibom (seven), Oyo (six), FCT (eight), Enugu (four), Abia (three), Plateau (three), Adamawa (three), Nasarawa (two), Benue (two), Anambra (two), Ekiti (two), Kano (two), Ebonyi (one), Niger (one) and Ogun (one).

The NCDC said eight deaths have been recorded with Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) of 3.3 per cent in six states – namely Edo (two), Lagos (two), Imo (one), Cross River (one), FCT (one) and Rivers (one) – from September 2017 to April 30, 2022.