By Kawaekwune Jeffrey
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 55 cases of Monkeypox (Mpox) out of 935 suspected cases reported nationwide.
The announcement was made on Tuesday 2024, via the agency’s official website. According to the NCDC, the confirmed cases span across 39 local government areas in 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The breakdown shows that 70 percent of the confirmed cases are male, with 30 percent female. No death has been recorded from the disease this year.
The age distribution of the confirmed cases includes 19 cases in ages 0-10, eight cases in ages 11-20, and 12 cases in ages 21-30. The distribution also covers eight cases in ages 31-40, seven cases in ages 41-50, and one case in individuals aged 50 and above.
The confirmed cases are distributed as follows: eight in Enugu, six in Bayelsa, six in Akwa-Ibom, five in Cross River, three each in Delta, Benue, and Plateau, with other states reporting fewer cases.
It would be recalled that since September 2017, the NCDC has recorded 4,752 suspected cases and 1,141 confirmed cases of Mpox, with a total of 17 deaths. The NCDC emphasized that the National Mpox multi-sectoral and multi-partner Emergency Operation Centre is actively coordinating the response to the outbreak.
Mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox, is characterized by symptoms such as fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. It spreads through close contact, respiratory droplets, and contaminated objects. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox a global public health emergency in August 2023, and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention declared it a public health emergency of continental security on August 13, 2023.
The outbreak remains most severe in the DR Congo and has been reported in several other countries.
