The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has disclosed that Nigeria recorded 67 confirmed cases of Mpox from 1,031 suspected cases in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT).
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris revealed this during a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him the states with confirmed cases are Akwa-Ibom (Eight); Enugu (Eight); Bayelsa (Six); Cross River (Five); Benue (Four); Plateau (Four); Delta (Four); FCT (Three); Imo (Three); Lagos (Three); Rivers (Two); Abia (Two); Osun (Two); Anambra (Two); Ogun (Two). Others are Kaduna (One); Gombe (One); Edo (One); Niger (One); Ebonyi (One); Nasarawa (One); Kebbi (One); and Oyo (One).
Idris stated that the agency is optimising laboratories in states to ensure accurate detection. He added that the centre is working with the port health authority to prevent the importation of Clade I of Mpox into the country.
“We are working with the port health authority to prevent the importation of Clade I of Mpox into the country, the port health authority is also working with border states to ensure prevention of the clade into the country.
“We have laboratories across the country but not all of them have the same capabilities to test Mpox. So, we are optimising our laboratories to detect so that we don’t have to carry samples across states. We are also involved in awareness creation,” he said.
Mpox spreads from animals to humans and between people through close contact with someone who is infected – including through sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.
The disease can be dangerous for children, pregnant women and those with suppressed immune systems. The infection, which jumps between people through close contact, can cause symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and lesions across the body.
