Rivers State Confirms Mpox Infections as NCDC Reports 51 Cases Nationwide

The Rivers State Government has confirmed two cases of the viral Mpox.

The disclosure was made by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, during a press conference in the state capital, Port Harcourt.

“Recently, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control stated that there are 39 confirmed cases of Mpox across the country. Out of this number, Rivers State has two confirmed cases of Mpox.”

She noted that medical teams have been deployed to respond to all emergencies at the healthcare level, including general and specialist hospitals.

“The ad hoc staff now have the capacity to respond to this infection at all levels of our healthcare pillar,” she said.

The recorded cases in Rivers come in the wake of Abia State, a neighboring state, confirming a case.

Although about 2,863 confirmed cases and 517 deaths across 13 African countries have been reported in 2024 alone, Nigeria has recorded 51 new suspected cases with zero deaths, according to the latest data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The agency defined Mpox as a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e., an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.

In its latest advisory, the NCDC advised the following:

Avoid contact with animals that could harbor the virus, including sick or dead animals in areas where Mpox has been confirmed.

Avoid contact with any material that has been in contact with a sick animal.

Avoid unnecessary physical contact with persons infected with Mpox.

Isolate potentially infected animals from other animals.

Practice frequent handwashing with soap and water, especially after caring for or visiting sick people.

Ensure all animal food products are properly cooked before eating.