Monkeypox ongoing in Nigeria
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 1 Travel Alert for Nigeria due to increased risk of exposure to the monkeypox virus.
The Level 1 Alert represents a need to practise the usual precautions. These include frequent hand washing, avoiding close contact with infected people and infected animals and avoiding contact with materials such as bedding that have been in contact with an infected person. The CDC advises travellers who feel unwell and think they may have the disease to seek medical care.
The outbreak is ongoing and health officials have reported more than 300 cases since April 2019. It is a rare disease that spreads through contact with the monkeypox virus from an animal, human or materials contaminated with the virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion and a rash. As many as 10 per cent of cases are fatal.