Monkeypox spreads worldwide, 1,472 cases in 33 non-endemic countries

• Nigeria discloses 10 new cases in Edo, Rivers, Plateau, Lagos, others
Cases of monkeypox have continued to soar worldwide, even as scientists at the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are tracking incidents in countries that do not normally have the disease.

According to latest figures from the CDC, there were 1,472 confirmed monkeypox cases in 33 non-endemic countries, as at June 10, 2022.

The list includes (in order of most cases to least): United Kingdom, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Canada, France, Netherlands, United States, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Australia, Czech, Slovenia, Sweden, Denmark, Israel, Finland, Argentina, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Austria, Brazil, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, and Poland.

Also, latest update on monkeypox in Nigeria, by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), shows there were 10 new positive cases in Week 22, 2022 (May 30 to June 5) from six states – Edo (two), Rivers (two), Plateau (two), Lagos (two), Ondo (one) and Imo (one).

Globally, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of June 5, 2022, there have been 920 confirmed and 70 suspected cases. Of 64 confirmed cases with known travel history, 32 were associated with travel from Europe, three from West Africa, two from Canada, and one from Australia. For 26 cases, travel history locations remain unknown.

According to the latest report from NCDC, “there were 44 new suspected cases reported in Week 22, 2022 (May 30 to June 5, 2022) from 14 states – Kebbi (11), Lagos (eight), Gombe (four), Plateau (four), Rivers (three), Adamawa (two), Edo (two) Kano (two), FCT (two), Niger (two), Ondo (one), Katsina (one), Bayelsa (one) and Imo (one).

“From January 1 to June 5, 2022, there have been 110 suspected cases in total and 31 confirmed cases from 12 states – Adamawa (five), Lagos (six), Rivers (three), Cross River (two), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja (two), Kano (two), Delta (two), Bayelsa (two), Edo (two), Imo (two), Plateau (two), and Ondo (one).

One death was recorded in a 40-year-old man with co-morbidity, who was receiving immunosuppressive drugs.”

NCDC said overall and from September 2017 to June 5, 2022, 622 suspected cases have been reported from 33 states in the country.

It said of the reported cases, 257 (41.3 per cent) have been confirmed in 23 states – Rivers (55), Bayelsa (45), Lagos (36), Delta (31), Cross River (16), Edo (12), Imo (10), Akwa Ibom (seven), Oyo (six), FCT (eight), Plateau (five), Adamawa (five), Enugu (four), Abia (three), Nasarawa (two), Benue (two), Anambra (two), Ekiti (two), Kano (two), Ebonyi (one), Niger (one), Ogun (one) and Ondo (one).

In addition, from September 2017 to June 5, 2022, a total of nine deaths have been recorded (Cade Fatality Ratio/CFR= 3.5 per cent) in six states – Lagos (three), Edo (two), Imo (one), Cross River (one), FCT (one) and Rivers (one).

Since September 2017, Nigeria has continued to report sporadic cases of monkeypox.

On May 26, 2022, a monkeypox Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated in response to the risk assessment conducted, which put Nigeria at high risk for an outbreak. The essence of the activation was to improve coordination of related preparedness/response activities across the country.

NCDC said there was a case of importation from Ghana. “The case is stable and receiving care at the hospital. Active case search is ongoing. International Health Regulation (IHR) notification has been sent to Ghana,” it said.