Day: August 16, 2024
Abuja, Nigeria — Nigerian authorities on Thursday placed key entry points into the country on high alert following the outbreak of the mpox virus in Africa. Authorities have also put nine Nigerian states, including the commercial hub, Lagos, and the capital, Abuja, under serious surveillance.
The Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention told journalists that the action is in response to surging cases of the mpox virus in Africa and to intensify coordination to limit importation and spread of the virus.
This week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had recorded 2,863 confirmed cases of mpox, with 517 deaths, across 13 countries this year. It said there are about 17,000 suspected cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, in total.
So far this year, Nigeria has recorded 39 cases of mpox, with no deaths.
Jide Idris, head of the Nigerian CDC, said it’s best to be prepared.
“We’re intensifying surveillance activities by tracking cases across Nigeria to swiftly detect and respond to any new cases,” he said. “Along this line, five designated international airports, some key seaports … land and foot crossing borders have been placed in high alert. Declaration forms have been distributed to airlines where there’s an ongoing outbreak of mpox in the last 90 days.”
The Nigerian CDC said authorities are distributing diagnostic tools to states. They also have issued a public advisory on ways to prevent the spread of the mpox virus, including limiting contact with animals such as rodents and monkeys.
“We’re also considering vaccination efforts for high-risk groups, as Nigeria expects to receive about 10,000 doses of the new vaccines that have just recently been approved for emergency use,” Idris said. “We’re also meeting with collaborative agencies like Ministry of Environment and Agriculture for support and coordination efforts.”
Authorities say a new strain of the virus, which is more deadly and more easily transmitted, is responsible for the recent spread. The strain was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and later reported in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, all previously unaffected nations.
On Tuesday, the Africa CDC declared mpox a public health emergency of international-continental concern.
Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa CDC, said, “This declaration is not merely a formality. It’s a clarion call to action. It’s a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive; we must be proactive and aggressive in our effort to contain and eliminate this threat.”
Mpox is a viral disease that causes pus-filled lesions resembling rashes to appear on the skin.
In 2022, the World Health Organization declared it an international health emergency after cases were found in more than 70 countries.
Health analysts say the new strain is worrisome and will need a coordinated international response to control it and save lives.
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PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan’s health ministry has confirmed at least one case of the mpox virus in a patient who had returned from a Gulf country, it said on Friday, as provincial health authorities reported they had detected three cases.
A health ministry spokesperson said the sequencing of the confirmed case was under way, and that it would not be clear which variant of mpox the patient had until the process was complete.
A new form of the virus has triggered global concern because it seems to spread more easily though routine close contact.
Earlier on Friday, the health department in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said three cases had been detected in patients on arrival from the United Arab Emirates. It was not clear whether the patient confirmed by the central health ministry was among the three.
The World Health Organization has declared the recent outbreak of the disease as a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant of the virus was identified.
Health ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah said so far they had no confirmation of the new variant, but the sequencing of the sample of the confirmed patient was under way.
“Once that’s done, we will be able to say what strain is this,” said Shah.
Salim Khan, the director general of health services for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said three patients were in quarantine.
Global health officials on Thursday confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent.
The WHO on Wednesday sounded its highest level of alert over the outbreak in Africa after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to nearby countries.
There have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in Congo since the current outbreak began in January 2023.
The disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, leads to flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild but can kill, with children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV, all at higher risk of complications.
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