Lara Adejoro
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says 102 confirmed Mpox cases have been recorded across 25 states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a press briefing.
Idris said in response to the increasing threat of Mpox, especially in light of regional cross-border transmission, the NCDC has reinforced its strategy to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We are primarily dealing with the Clade IIB variant, which has been circulating in Nigeria; however, we are also monitoring the situation in Cameroun where both Clade IB & IIB are reported, and heightening our surveillance for the Clade IB, a more severe strain currently circulating in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and the DRC, which has the potential for rapid spread through community transmission.
“Nigeria has continued to manage the outbreak with vigilance. As of October 13th, a total of 102 confirmed cases have been recorded across 26 states and the FCT, from 1,339 suspected cases. Encouragingly, there have been no recorded deaths, but we remain cautious.
“The observed steady rise on the number of reported cases in recent weeks can be attributed to enhanced surveillance and improved case detection across the country,” he said.
He stated that the agency’s response strategy rests on stakeholder engagement, surveillance and diagnostic capacity, community engagement, and vaccination campaign.
Adding, he said, “In partnership with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, we are facilitating the deployment of 10,000 doses of the Mpox Jynneos vaccine, prioritizing high-risk groups such as contacts of confirmed cases and immunocompromised individuals.
“Priority states for this vaccination campaign include Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom, based on the burden of Mpox cases reported since 2017.
“Anyone with rash illness is advised to visit nearest health facility for care. The general public is advised to avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals and avoid consumption of under-cooked meat.”
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