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By Akanni Godspraise
On Monday, August 19, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced that Nigeria had recorded 39 confirmed cases of monkeypox across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) since the beginning of 2024, with zero reported deaths.
This announcement followed the World Health Organization’s declaration on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, that monkeypox, also known as Mpox, is a global health emergency, citing the virus’s spread across Africa.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared Mpox a public health emergency a day earlier.
The Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed at a press briefing that the declaration of Mpox as a public health emergency is of international concern.
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According to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), monkeypox was first discovered in Nigeria in 1971, with two cases reported, followed by another in 1978.
However, in 2017, Mpox reemerged in Nigeria after 39 years, with 122 recorded cases. In 2021, cases of Mpox were reported in Delta, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, the FCT, Niger, and Ogun.
Between 2017 and 2021, there were 226 recorded cases, with eight deaths recorded.
By September 2022, Nigeria had recorded over 300 cases and four recorded deaths.
What is Monkeypox
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is an infectious viral disease that can occur in both humans and other animals and leads to rashes and flu-like symptoms. There are two types of Mpox: clade I (originated in Central Africa) and clade II (originated in West Africa).
How Is Monkeypox Transmitted
- Direct skin-to-skin contact with Mpox rash or scabs from an infected person.
- Contact with saliva, upper respiratory secretions (snot, mucus), and bodily fluids or lesions around the anus, rectum, or vagina from an infected person.
- Pregnant people with Mpox can transmit the virus to the fetus during pregnancy or to the newborn during and after birth.
- The disease can be transmitted during activities like hunting, trapping, or processing infected wild animals in areas where Mpox is endemic.
Symptoms of monkeypox can include:
- Cold
- Exhaustion
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
Those infected with Mpox often develop rashes that may be located on the hands, chest, feet, mouth, face, or near the genitals, including the penis, testicles, vagina, labia, and anus.
