The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control has warned that monkeypox can be transmitted through sex.
Monkeypox, an infectious disease caused by the Monkeypox virus (MPV or MPXV), was first discovered among monkeys in 1958, with the first human case reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.
A statement shared on the NCDC website on Friday, listed some symptoms of the disease, including fever, headache, and body aches.
“Symptoms of the illness include fever, headache, body aches, weakness, swollen lymph nodes (glands), and a rash. After about 1 to 3 days of fever, the rash erupts, beginning on the face and then spreading to the body with the face and palms/soles being mostly affected.
“They can also occur in and around the genitals which is why contact during sex is one mode of transmission. It is mostly a self-limiting illness that often lasts for two to four weeks,” the statement read.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has also urged citizens to desist from hunting and dealing with bushmeat, noting that it was necessary to prevent any possible spread of the pathogen in the country through the selling and buying of bushmeat.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, had also advised citizens to avoid contact with persons suspected to be infected with the disease at home and at workplaces, as well as report any suspected case of the disease to the nearest clinic.
