Nigeria has documented 55 confirmed cases of Monkeypox (Mpox) out of 935 suspected cases spanning 39 local government areas in 21 different states and the Federal Capital Territory, as reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
This information is sourced from the Mpox situation report for week 35, closing on September 1, 2024, acquired from the NCDC on Monday.
Interestingly, no fatalities have been linked to the disease thus far this year. The data reveals that 70% of the cases were identified in males and 30% in females.
The breakdown by age indicates 19 cases among ages 0-10, eight cases among ages 11-20, 12 cases among ages 21-30, eight cases among ages 31-40, seven cases among ages 41-50, and one case among ages 50 and above.
The confirmed cases are distributed across various states with Enugu (eight), Bayelsa (six), Akwa-Ibom (six), Cross River (five), Delta (three), Benue (three), Plateau (three), Osun (two), Imo (two), FCT (two), Anambra (two), Rivers (two), Abia (two), Lagos (one), Kebbi (one), Nasarawa (one), Edo (one), Ebonyi (one), Zamfara (one), Oyo (one), Kaduna (one), and Niger (one) reporting cases.
It added that, “Since September 2017, 4,752 suspected cases have been reported from 36 states and the FCT, with 1,141 confirmed cases (24.0 per cent) from 35 States and the FCT with 17 deaths. Males (~70 per cent) are predominantly affected.”
The NCDC’s National Mpox Emergency Operation Centre is leading the country’s response to the disease.
Mpox is a rare and infectious disease that jumps from animals to humans, typically found in remote Central and West African villages near tropical rainforests. The Mpox virus, part of the Poxviridae family, causes the disease.
This family also includes viruses that cause smallpox, cowpox, and were used in smallpox vaccines. With smallpox eradicated, Mpox has become the most significant virus in this family.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a continental public health emergency on August 13, 2024, recognizing its significant threat to public health.
 out of 935 suspected cases spanning 39 local government areas in 21 different states and the Federal Capital Territory, as reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.){kind=link}