Monkeypox: NCDC confirms 84 cases, three deaths

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said 84 cases of Monkeypox have been confirmed in the country.

The agency noted that three deaths have been recorded from the beginning of the year to July 3.

The NCDC, in its latest Monkeypox situation report for week 26, that no fewer than 245 suspected cases of the disease have been reported in the country.

Monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans that occur sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests.

The NCDC disclosed that, “There were 41 suspected cases reported in Epi week 26, 2022 ( June 27 to July 3, 2022) from 20 states – Nasarawa (6), Lagos (4), Delta (4), Adamawa (3), Ondo (3), Borno (2), Ebonyi (2), Edo (2), Kwara (2), Oyo (2), Taraba (2), Akwa Ibom (1), Cross River (1), Benue (1), FCT (1), Kano (1), Kebbi (1), Ogun (1), Plateau (1), and Rivers (1).”

The agency said out of the 41 suspected cases, there were 21 new positive cases in the reported week from 11 states – Nasarawa (4), Adamawa (3), Borno (2), Delta (2), Edo (2), Kwara (2), Lagos (2), FCT (1), Ondo (1), Plateau (1), and Rivers (1).

The centre added, “From January 1 to July 3, 2022, there have been 245 suspected cases and 84 confirmed cases (57 male, 27 female) from 21 states -Lagos (13), Adamawa (9), Delta (7), Nasarawa (7), Edo (6), Rivers (6), Bayelsa (5), Plateau (5), FCT (5), Cross River (3), Kwara (3), Borno (2), Imo (2), Kano (2), Ondo (2), Taraba (2), Anambra (1), Katsina (1), Niger (1), Oyo (1), and Ogun (1). Three deaths were recorded.

“Overall and since the re-emergence of Monkeypox from September 2017 to July 3, 2022, a total of 757 suspected cases have been reported from 34 states in the country.”

Meanwhile, the Monkeypox National Emergency Operations Centre was activated on May 26, 2022, in response to a risk assessment of the national and global situation of the infectious disease.

The NCDC said the essence of activating the EOC was to enhance the coordination of related preparedness and response activities across the country.

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