Mpox outbreak: Cross River, Lagos lead with highest cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says Mpox cases have been identified in 63 local government areas across 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with Cross Rivers and Lagos taking the lead.

The update is contained in the NCDC’s latest situation report released on Tuesday.

Nigeria has recorded 94 confirmed cases out of 1,297 suspected cases from January 1 to October 6, 2024.

Additionally, epidemiology week 40 saw 47 new suspected cases, marking a decrease from the 67 cases reported in week 39.

It, however, noted that six confirmed cases were reported in week 40 compared with 10 confirmed cases reported in week 39, 2024.

The report added: “Twenty-five states and the FCT have recorded at least one confirmed case across 63 LGAs in 2024.

“Since September 2017, 5,114 suspected cases have been reported from 36 states and the FCT, with 1,180 confirmed cases (23.1 percent) from 35 states and the FCT with 17 deaths. Males (70 percent) are predominantly affected.

“The National Mpox multi-sectoral and multi-partner Emergency Operation Centre continues to
coordinate the response.”

It clarified that week 39 had a backlog of 13 reported cases (four confirmed cases).

The states with confirmed cases are Cross-River (11); Lagos (10); Plateau (eight); Enugu (eight); Akwa-Ibom (eight); Delta (six); Bayelsa (six); FCT (five); Imo (four); Benue (four); Rivers (three); and Abia (three).

Others are Osun (two); Ogun (two); Edo (two); Anambra (two); Zamfara (one); Oyo (one); Niger (one); Nasarawa (one); Kebbi (one); Katsina (one); Kaduna (one); Gombe (one); Ebonyi (one); and Adamawa (one).

Meanwhile, Ogun leads with the number of suspected cases with 222; followed by Lagos (153); Bayelsa (125); Cross River (84); Akwa Ibom (65); Ekiti (63); Enugu (59); Osun (56); Ondo (41); Delta (38); Imo (36); Abia (34); Plateau (34); FCT (28); Rivers (27); Anambra (24); Adamawa (22); and Benue (21).

Other states with suspected cases are Kebbi (19); Edo (17); Oyo (16); Gombe (16); Nasarawa (14); Ebonyi (11); Kaduna (10); Kogi (nine); Zamfara (nine); Katsina (nine); Taraba (eight); Kwara (six); Bauchi (six); Kano (five); Jigawa (four); Sokoto (three); Yobe (one); Borno (one); and Niger (one).

The age distribution of the cumulative number of confirmed cases in 2024 showed that ages 0–10 recorded 24 cases; ages 11–20 recorded 15 cases; ages 21–30 recorded 25; ages 31–40 recorded 14 cases; ages 41–50 recorded 12 cases; and ages 50 and above recorded four cases.