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Mpox Spreads to 25 States in Nigeria, 94 Confirmed Cases Reported

Nigeria has become the latest country to be affected by the Mpox outbreak, with the virus spreading to 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory across 63 local government areas, according to the latest report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

As of October 6, 2024, a total of 1,297 suspected cases have been recorded, with 94 confirmed cases reported since January 1. The latest report, obtained on Tuesday, shows that the number of suspected cases has increased, with 47 new cases reported in Epidemiology week 40, 2024, compared with 67 cases reported in week 39.

The report also showed that six confirmed cases were reported in week 40, 2024, compared with 10 confirmed cases reported in week 39, 2024. The NCDC reported that males are predominantly affected, with 70% of the confirmed cases being male.

The states with confirmed cases are Cross-River, Lagos, Plateau, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Federal Capital Territory, Imo, Benue, Rivers, Abia, Osun, Ogun, Edo, Anambra, Zamfara, Oyo, Niger, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Gombe, Ebonyi, and Adamawa.

Furthermore, the report showed that the age distribution of the cumulative number of confirmed cases in 2024 has seen ages 0-10 recording 24 cases, ages 11-20 recording 15 cases, ages 21-30 recording 25 cases, ages 31-40 recording 14 cases, ages 41-50 recording 12 cases, and ages 50 and above recording four cases.

The NCDC has continued to coordinate the response through the National Mpox multi-sectoral and multi-partner Emergency Operation Centre. The agency urged citizens to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.

As the outbreak continues to spread, it is crucial that the public remains informed and takes necessary steps to prevent the further spread of the virus.