First Monkeypox Death in Nigeria in 2022; 21 Cases Confirmed

Click to read the full article by Chinedu Asadu

The first death from the flavivirus Monkeypox has been reported in Nigeria. Chinedu Asadu reports that the patient who succumbed to the viral infection was, in fact, immunocompromised. Historically, Monkeypox of the less virulent strain has around 1% risk of mortality. The mortality of the more serious form is about 10%. Nigeria has, however, reported around 3.6% fatality rate. Gerbils, hamsters, and other rodents and similar animals are extremely susceptible to infection, and even dogs and cats should not be exposed.

Close physical contact facilitates transmission. The present outbreak appears to be associated with multiple sexual contact between gay males. However, this disease is not limited to gay persons, but has spread rapidly among them due to their multiple common intimate physical contacts.

The featured image in Asadu’s article shows a 2003 CDC electron microscopic image shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. Monkeypox, a disease that rarely appears outside Africa, has been identified by European and American health authorities in recent days. (Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP)