Mpox: Nigeria records 789 cases, eight deaths

The number of confirmed cases of mpox in Nigeria has risen to 789, The PUNCH reports.

The death toll recorded from the disease is now eight.

The mpox situation report obtained from the World Health Organisation showed that Nigeria has the highest number of mpox cases and deaths in the African region.

Meanwhile, a total of 85,860 confirmed cases and 93 deaths have been reported from 110 countries in all six WHO regions as of February 16.

The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on the multi-country mpox outbreak was convened for the fourth time on February 9, and the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, concurred with the advice of the committee that the event continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The Emergency Committee acknowledged the progress made globally and raised concerns over ongoing transmission in some countries, as well as possible under-detection and under-reporting in others, especially where there was animal-to-human transmission before.

The mpox African region report showed that Benin recorded three cases, Cameroon has 18 cases and three deaths; the Central African Republic reported 22 cases, Congo -five; the Democratic Republic of the Congo -370; Ghana – 121 and four deaths; Liberia -seven; Mozambique -pone and one death; and South Africa -five.

The WHO said mpox continued to circulate in animal hosts with occasional spillover to humans, not only causing suffering in the local population but also enabling the exportation of the virus to other areas or countries. Exportation from enzootic countries may occur through the international trade of susceptible animals or international travel of persons carrying the virus.

The UN agency advised countries to integrate mpox prevention, preparedness, and response within programmes and services for sexual health, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections, and to continue to strengthen research through a One Health approach, in coordination with partner agencies.

Experts say intervention strategies to mitigate the risk of zoonotic spillover of mpox are needed to prevent future local and global outbreaks.