U.S. Monkeypox case from Nigeria: NCDC says no cause for alarm, no fresh outbreak of virus

…says it will continue to detect and respond to these cases in Nigeria as with other epidemic prone diseases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reacted to the human Monkeypox imported into Texas by a U.S. resident who recently travelled from Nigeria, saying it has continued to track the sporadic cases of Monkeypox recorded in Nigeria.

NCDC said there is no fresh outbreak of the virus which belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director-General of NCDC, told Persecondnews on Saturday that in 2021 alone the country had recorded 41 suspected cases and 21 confirmed cases with no death.

“Sporadic cases of monkeypox are recorded in Nigeria throughout the year. The data on monkeypox is published every week in the National Weekly Epidemiological report available via www.ncdc.gov.ng

“This year, we have recorded 41 suspected cases and 21 confirmed cases with no death so far. We continue to detect and respond to these cases in Nigeria as with 
other epidemic prone diseases,’’ he said.

Persecondnews recalls that the bill for an Act to establish NCDC was signed into law in November 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention had on Saturday alerted the importation of the virus to U.S. with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins urging the public not to panic as the patient is currently hospitalized in Dallas.

Monkeypox typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes and gradually develops to widespread rashes on the face and body.

“While rare, this case is not a reason for alarm and we do not expect any threat to the general public,’’ he said.

The CDC said it is currently working with the airline and state and local health officials to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient during two flights: Lagos, Nigeria, to Atlanta on July 8, with arrival on July 9; and Atlanta to Dallas on July 9.

 Monkeypox, it is learnt, can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets but CDC expects less risk of the spread since travellers were wearing masks due to COVID-19.

The last time Monkeypox was seen in the U.S. was in 2003. Nearly 50 people fell ill after imported African rodents infected prairie dogs, which subsequently infected humans, the CDC said.

This launched a government search across 15 states for infected prairie dogs.