Follow Us on Google
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
United Kingdom (UK) International Health Regulations (IHR) has notified the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) about possible silent spread of monkeypox disease in Nigeria.
Monkeypox is a virus that spreads primarily from animals to humans, with symptoms such as fever, headache, body pain, malaise, enlargement of glands (lymphadenopathy), sore throat and fluid-filled body rashes (vesicular rash), and may last for two to four weeks.
Transmission is via direct contact with infected animals, human, or contaminated materials. The virus does not spread easily between people and the risk of transmission to the wider public is very low.
Monkeypox is self-limiting, which means patients tend to recover in a couple of weeks. However, supportive care and management of the condition is required and mostly successful.
Control measures include isolation of suspected or confirmed cases, strict adherence to universal precautions, especially frequent handwashing with soap and water and the use of personal protective equipment.
The UK health authority in a letter dated 7th May, 2022, informed NCDC that its diagnosis detected the monkey pox in an individual, a UK resident, who arrived in Nigeria on 20th April 2022; travelled to Lagos and Delta States during the time spent in Nigeria, departed Lagos on 3rd May, 2022, and arrived in the UK on 4th May, 2022.
It further noted that, while in Nigeria, the case did not report being in contact with anyone with symptoms of monkeypox or other illness with rash, but the diagnosis of monkeypox (West African clade) was confirmed by PCR in the UK on 6th May 2022, and the patient is currently stable and receiving care in the UK.
NCDC Director General, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, in a statement, on Thursday, confirmed that NCDC was investigating the incident in collaboration with the Lagos and Delta State Ministries of Health.
Additionally, he said that Monkeypox Technical Working Group comprising the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), US Centers for Disease Control (US CDC) and coordinated by the NCDC is collaborating to strengthen in-country capacity to prevent, detect and respond to Monkeypox cases in the country.
He noted that since the re-emergence of monkeypox in Nigeria in September 2017, the country has continued to record sporadic cases of the disease from states across the country.
“Between September 2017 and 30th April 2022, a total of 558 cases and 8 deaths have been confirmed in 22 states. Of these, 15 cases have been confirmed in 2022 alone. This does not constitute an outbreak. The highest number of cases have been reported from states in the South-South region of Nigeria,” he said.
He re-assured Nigerians of the NCDC’s capacity to effectively diagnose and respond to cases of Monkeypox, adding that the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) in Abuja has the capacity to test for cases of Monkeypox with a quick turnaround time.
He urged anyone with fluid-filled body rashes (vesicular rash), enlargement of glands and other symptoms of monkeypox to report to any nearest public health facility for proper diagnosis and care.
He also encouraged any healthcare worker that suspects a case of Monkeypox, to reach out to their LGA disease surveillance and notification officers or State Ministry of Health (Epidemiology team) for appropriate guidance and action.
