Following the spread of Mpox outbreak to Nigeria, the Federal Government has placed nine states on high alert, to curtail influx of the disease I to the country.
It noted that the states were placed on high alert after the cases were recorded within their territories in the country.
The states were Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, Cross-River, Akwa-Ibom, Adamawa, and Taraba.
The Director General of the National Center for Disease Control and prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing newsmen on the efforts to curtail it’s spread across the country.
Idris added that these states were placed on high alert considering that they serve as major entry ports for foreigners into the country.
He said the recorded cases in states leading the pack are Bayelsa (5), Cross River (5), Ogun (4), Lagos (4), Ondo (3), and Ebonyi (3).
He said: “As part of the government’s ongoing efforts, we are intensified surveillance across Nigeria to swiftly detect and respond to any new cases. This putting all port health services across all 5 international airports, 10 seaports, and 51 land/foot crossing borders on high alert.
“Diagnostic protocols according to the IDSR are now distributed to these locations and port health officers are on high alert and screening for suspected cases.”
Dr Idris further said that NCDC is also conducting contact tracing and monitoring for confirmed cases to prevent further spread, adding that this will now also include declaration by travellers who have been to any of the countries where there is an ongoing outbreak of Mpox in the last 90 days.
“Additionally, we continue to provide healthcare workers and the public with updated guidance on infection prevention and control measures and train SURGE staff as part of our preparedness and readiness for an MPX public health event.
“The NCDC is also notifying public and private hospitals about the MPX alert and sending a list of referral isolation/treatment centers across the 6 geopolitical zones and reference laboratory networks,” he stated.
He added that the federal government was also considering vaccination efforts for high-risk groups, as Nigeria expects to receive 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine.
Idris, meanwhile, said so far, about 2,863 confirmed cases and 517 deaths across 13 African countries of Mpox had been reported in 2024 alone.
He said this alarming increase is linked to a new strain of the Mpox virus which emerged in eastern Congo and has since been detected in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
He also said that in Nigeria, cumulatively, a total of 39 confirmed cases and zero deaths have been recorded across 33 States + the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) from the beginning of the year 2024.
