MonkeyPox Kills Six, 21 New Cases Recorded In One Week — NCDC

Monkeypox virus has killed six Nigerians since the beginning of the year, according to the latest epidemiological report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The NCDC notes that between January 1st and August 21, six states have recorded one death each from the disease.

The states are: Delta (1), Lagos (1), Ondo (1) Akwa Ibom (1), Taraba (1) and Kogi (1), with a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 2.4 per cent. However, in one week, between August 15 and 21, two states – Taraba and Kogi – recorded a total of two deaths.

Furthermore, the total number of confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the country has risen to 241, with 21 new cases reported in one week, between August 15 and 21, 2022.

The 21 confirmed cases were reported from 12 states, namely: Lagos (7), Adamawa (2), Ebonyi (2), Imo (2), Akwa Ibom (1), Anambra (1), Edo (1), FCT (1), Katsina (1), Kaduna (1), Kogi (1) and Ondo (1).

Information obtained by our correspondent, showed that of the 241 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the country, Lagos State has the highest burden of the disease, with 42 confirmed cases since the beginning of the year. This translates to 17.4 per cent of the total burden of the disease in the country.

According to the Regional Director for Africa of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Nigeria currently leads in Monkeypox deaths and confirmed cases in the African region.

She said: “For Monkeypox, there have now been 524 confirmed cases and 12 deaths across 11 African countries. The majority of cases are in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ghana. Of the 12 deaths, six occurred in Nigeria, four in Ghana, and two in the Central African Republic.

“Although, no single Monkeypox vaccine has been administered to any high-risk group in any of the African countries reporting cases, WHO has provided 39,000 test kits to countries, enabling improved testing rates.”

According to the NCDC, “Overall, since the re-emergence of Monkeypox in September 2017 and to 21st August 2022, a total of 1,116 suspected cases have been reported from 35 states in the country. Of these 1,116 suspected cases, there have been 467 (41.8 per cent) confirmed (309 male, 158 female) from 32 states.

“In addition, from September 2017 to August 21st, 2022, a total of fourteen (14) deaths have been recorded, with case fatality rate if 3 per cent, in ten states, namely, Lagos (3), Edo (2), Imo (1), Cross River (1), FCT (1), Rivers (1), Ondo (1) Delta (1), Akwa Ibom (1), Taraba (1) and Kogi (1).”