TheCable

Kwara state has recorded its first case of monkeypox.

Confirming the development on Thursday in a statement, Raji Razaq, the state commissioner for health, said the case involves a 29-year-old Nigerian driver who developed symptoms of fever, generalised rash, and weakness in the last two weeks and had been under our surveillance.

According to the statement, the discovery followed efforts of the monkeypox surveillance and response team that had been activated in the state.

“There were contacts with the wife and four neighbours with similar symptoms where he lives at Gbugbu in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, all of which have been resolved by the health team,” the statement reads.

“The patient has been on admission in the last 1 week because of suspicion of monkeypox. He has also been under strict monitoring by the surveillance and clinical team.

“Currently, the patient is improving and stable in the ward.

“The government’s team has similarly begun health facility and community case search/contact tracing.

“The team will also intensify continuous public and community sensitisation on the disease and its symptoms for public education and control.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in its latest monkeypox situation report, said 41 cases of the disease have now been confirmed in 2022.

The agency also said there were 21 new suspected cases reported from June 13 to June 18, of which five were confirmed positive.

The states with positive cases are Bayelsa (2), Edo (1), Ogun (1) and Lagos (1).

“From January 1st to 19th June 2022, there have been 162 suspected cases in total and 41 confirmed cases from sixteen (16) states – Lagos (8), Adamawa (5), Bayelsa (4), Delta (3), Edo (3), River (3), Cross River (2), FCT (2), Kano (2), Imo (2), Plateau (2), Nasarawa (1), Niger (1), Oyo (1), Ondo (1) and Ogun (1). One death was recorded in a 40-year-old man with co-morbidity that was receiving immunosuppressive drugs,” the report reads.