• NCDC plans 10,000 doses of vaccine for high-risk groups
• Activates health forms for incoming passengers over Marburg
• Records 14,237 cholera cases, 378 deaths

Over 1,100 persons have died across Africa from monkeypox (mpox), Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said yesterday, warning that the epidemic was “going out of control” without further action.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned of the possibility of Marburg virus entering into the country considering the volume of travel between Nigeria and Rwanda.

Meanwhile, it is facilitating the deployment of 10,000 doses of the Mpox Jynneos vaccine, prioritising high-risk groups such as contacts of confirmed cases and immune-compromised individuals.

NCDC also recorded 14,237 cases of cholera across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), spanning 339 local councils as of October 13, 2024 .

In all, 42,000 mpox cases have been recorded in Africa since January, the African Union (AU) health agency said, with cases reported for the first time in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

This brings to 18 the number of African countries where mpox has been officially detected this year, it said.

“Mpox is going out of control if we don’t act,” Africa CDC Head, Jean Kaseya, told an online media briefing. “I am so sad to say we now have more than 1,000 mpox deaths. This Week 40, we have 1,100 deaths reported in total.”

Majority of the deaths have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of the outbreak, which launched a vaccination drive earlier this month.   But Kaseya said that across the continent, there were still more new cases week after week.

“Eighteen countries are too much, we cannot continue like that,” he said, urging international partners to step up and immediately release funds pledged to combat mpox. “We want to see concrete action on the ground to stop this outbreak.”

PRIORITY states in Nigeria for the mpox vaccination campaign include Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom, based on the burden of mpox cases reported since 2017.

Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, while giving update on Ongoing Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks, in Abuja, yesterday, said the expert risk assessment conducted by NCDC reported a potential for localised transmission of Marburg, particularly among populations with high presence of bats and where bats.

He observed that though there was no s]pecific treatment or vaccine for Marburg, the NCDC was prepared to respond, adding that the agency had activated health declaration forms for arriving passengers, especially from affected regions, and “is ready to isolate suspected cases” immediately upon detection.

Idris urged Nigerians, particularly those travelling to regions with reported Marburg cases, to remain vigilant and avoid contact with wild animals, especially fruit bats, and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms such as high fever, severe headache or unexplained bleeding occur.

The preventive measures adopted during Ebola outbreak, such as proper hand washing with soap and water under running water or use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers, are applicable for the prevention of Marburg, he added.

According to him, cholera remains a serious public health issue, particularly in areas with inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems.

The DG stated that 14,237 cases of cholera were reported across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), spanning 339 local councils, on October 13, 2024, while 378 lives have been lost, resulting in a Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) of about 2.7 per cent.

He observed that the floods in the northern states of Borno, Adamawa, Jigawa, Yobe and Kano had exacerbated the spread of cholera, making them states the present epicentres of the outbreak.

“Earlier in the year, the cholera cases were concentrated in southern states as the rains began there, but we have seen a shift, with northern states now accounting for a significant portion of cases. The number of suspected cholera cases and deaths in 2024 has more than doubled, when compared to this time last year. These numbers reflect the severity of the outbreak and reinforce the need for continuous vigilance and action.

“It also underscores the developmental issues that should be addressed both at the national and sub-national levels with improved commitment towards addressing challenges relating to inadequate access to clean water, open defecation, poor environmental sanitation, food and personal hygiene.”

He stated that Nigeria has continued to manage the mpox outbreak with vigilance, adding that as of October 13, no death had been recorded out of the 102 confirmed cases across 26 states and the FCT, from 1,339 suspected cases.