Nigeria, UK to investigate monkeypox cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), the United Kingdom’s public health agency is set to investigate UK’s first Monkeypox cases, its patients are said to be from Nigeria.

“Nigeria is aware of two confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the United Kingdom (UK), in patients with a recent travel history from the country,” says the press statement made available by NCDC.

According to the agency, since the re-emergence of Monkeypox in Nigeria, September 2017, NCDC has continued to receive reports and respond to cases of the disease from states across the country.

“Between September 2017 when the outbreak started and 31st of August 2018, a total of 262 suspected cases had been reported from 26 states. Of these, 113 have been confirmed in 16 states with seven deaths.”

“The highest numbers of cases have been reported from states in the South-South region of Nigeria,” it says,

Oladoyin Odubanjo chair, Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Lagos Chapter said, “All we need to do is to practise more universal care precautions at all times generally. People need to practice more hygiene, which is very important and the environment needs to be better.”

“Effective surveillance is clearly important, containment, general precautions measure will minimise risk of transmission of the viral disease” Odubanjo said.

According to the statement, NCDC has also been working closely with states across the country to strengthen surveillance, detection and response to cases of Monkeypox.

“We re-assure Nigerians that agency has the capacity to effectively diagnose and respond to cases, we therefore encourage any healthcare worker that suspects a case of Monkeypox, to reach out to their State epidemiology team for appropriate action.”

Monkeypox is a virus that is spread primarily from animals to humans, with symptoms such as fever, headache, body pain, malaise, lymphadenopathy (enlargement of glands), sore throat and the typical generalised vesicular rash.

This 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.

On way forward, agency further stated that a technical working group coordinated by NCDC and comprising of partners from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, US Centers for Disease Control (US CDC) and other agencies, meet weekly to ensure coordination.

In addition NCDC met with stakeholders recently, including surveillance officers and case management physicians from all affected states to review the actions taken so far and strategies on how to strengthen the country’s response.

ANTHONIA OBOKOH