Nigeria has reported eight new confirmed cases of Mpox in the past week, according to an update released on Friday. The outbreak has now affected 35 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The number of confirmed cases surged in week 34, with eight new cases reported, compared to just one case in week 33. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed a total of 48 Mpox cases out of 868 suspected cases, up from 40 confirmed cases out of 830 suspected cases the previous week.
To date, no deaths have been reported from the outbreak. The breakdown of confirmed cases is as follows: Lagos (1), Rivers (2), Bayelsa (6), Abia (1), Delta (2), Imo (1), Edo (1), FCT (2), Anambra (2), Cross River (5), Plateau (2), Akwa Ibom (4), Nasarawa (1), Oyo (1), Kaduna (1), Ebonyi (1), Benue (3), Enugu (8), Osun (2), Kebbi (1), and Zamfara (1).
The NCDC also reported an increase in suspected cases, with 57 new cases reported in week 34 compared to 25 in week 33. The outbreak has now impacted 20 states and the FCT across 35 LGAs.
The age distribution of confirmed cases is as follows: 17 cases in the 0-10 age group, 7 in the 11-20 group, 9 in the 21-30 group, 8 in the 31-40 group, and 7 in the 41-50 group.
In response to the outbreak, Nigeria received 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine from the United States government. This vaccine, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of smallpox and Mpox in at-risk adults, was officially handed over in Abuja on Tuesday. Additionally, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has reinforced its declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) following a 160% increase in cases this year.
Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans, primarily occurring in remote villages of Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests. It is caused by the Mpox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family.
