5 states, FCT record new monkeypox cases in August

Nigeria confirmed at least six cases of monkeypox in August 2021, two more than in July, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Monkeypox is a viral illness caused by a group of viruses that include chicken pox and small pox, with symptoms like severe headache, fever, back pains, among others.

Of nine suspected cases last month, six were confirmed, with one each in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Niger, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It’s the first cases ever confirmed in Niger and Ogun since a 2017 monkeypox outbreak, that spread to at least 14 states, sparked nationwide panic

A total of 26 monkeypox cases have now been confirmed in seven states and the FCT since the beginning of the year, with no deaths.

Of the nearly 500 suspected cases reported since the 2017 outbreak, 215 have been confirmed in 19 states and the FCT, with eight deaths in four years.