Monkeypox in Nigeria: Health officials report four confirmed cases in July

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported four confirmed cases of monkeypox in July, a 33 percent decrease compared to June. A total of 17 suspected cases were reported and no fatalities.

Image/CDC

In 2021, a total of 69 suspected cases have been reported between January and July 31, 2021. Of the suspected cases, 17 were confirmed from five states Delta (6), Lagos (4), Bayelsa (3), Rivers (3) Edo (1) and no deaths.

Since September 2017, Nigeria has been experiencing the largest monkeypox outbreak in the country’s history. The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported a total of 483 suspected monkeypox cases from 30 states, including eight deaths.

NCDC officials are also investigating a confirmed case of monkeypox in a patient who visited Lagos, Nigeria, on June 25, 2021, from the United States and travelled back on July 8, 2021.

Monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e. an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests, according to the NCDC. It is caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (the cause of smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the vaccine for smallpox eradication), and cowpox virus (used in earlier smallpox vaccine). Following the eradication of smallpox, monkeypox virus has emerged as the most important Orthopoxvirus.

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