A new threat, the mpox virus, had begun to cast a shadow over Africa, sending ripples of concern through every corner of Nigeria.
The virus, which has quietly spread from the tropical rainforests of Central Africa, now loomed as a dual menace—spreading both from animals to humans and between people themselves.
FG Intensify Monitoring Of Mpox Outbreak
The Federal Government has intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points in the country in response to the monkeypox (Mpox) outbreak.
Prof. Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, announced this in a statement on Thursday, signed by his Special Adviser on Media & External Relations, Tashikalmah Hallah.
On Tuesday, the Africa Centre for Disease Control declared a public health emergency due to the escalating mpox outbreak on the continent.
The outbreak has swept through several African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A serious and growing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has now spread outside the country.
A new viral strain, which emerged in September 2023, has been detected outside the DRC for the first time.
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The World Health Organization stressed that the emergence and rapid spread of the new virus strain, clade 1b, in the DRC.
Primarily spreading through sexual networks, and its detection in neighboring countries, are particularly concerning.
This is key reasons for declaring the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Number Of Confirmed MPox Cases
So far, about 2,863 confirmed mpox cases and 517 deaths across 13 African countries have been reported in 2024 alone.
In Nigeria, health officials have recorded a total of 39 confirmed cases and zero deaths across 33 states and the FCT since the beginning of 2024.
Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic disease, meaning it transmits from animals to humans, and is endemic in several African countries, including the tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa.
Although the exact reservoir of the virus remains unknown, experts suspect that rodents, squirrels, and monkeys play a role in its transmission.