The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported additional 41 new cases of Monkeypox disease between August 29 and September 4 from 12 states.
The NCDC, via its official website yesterday, listed the 12 states as Lagos (14), Abia (7), Imo (6), Ogun (5), Ondo (2), Akwa Ibom (1), Borno (1), Delta (1), Osun (1), Oyo (1), Plateau (1) and Rivers (1).
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It said there had been 815 suspected cases, 318 confirmed cases and seven deaths from Monkeypox so far in Nigeria in 2022.
It said the seven deaths were recorded in Delta (1), Lagos (1), Ondo (1), Akwa Ibom (1), Kogi (1), Taraba (1) and Imo (1), with Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) of 2.2 per cent.
According to NCDC, from 2017 to date, only four states accounted for 270 out of 544 cases of Monkeypox in the country – Lagos (93), Rivers (71), Bayelsa (62) and Delta (44).
It said this translates to approximately 50 per cent (49.6 per cent) of the total number of confirmed cases.
Monkeypox is an infection caused by a virus similar to the now-eradicated smallpox virus.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared a global health emergency since monkeypox had spread to many countries through social interactions and intimate contacts.
While monkeypox cases spreading globally in 2022 can cause severe disease, the infection most often clears up on its own.
Monkeypox may be most severe in young children, especially if they have poor nutritional status.
In previous years, fatal cases had occurred, primarily among children in Africa.
Vaccines can prevent monkeypox, but they are currently in short supply and are used to prevent monkeypox disease in people who have been exposed to the virus. (NAN)
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