Monkeypox found in man having sex with man in Nigeria —Expert

A clinical virologist, Dr Adeola- Fowotade, says the case of a 40-year-old man with monkeypox in Ibadan has proved that the disease is also sexually transmitted from men having sex with other men in Nigeria.

Fowotade, Coordinator, Biorepository Clinical Virology Laboratory, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, in a lecture entitled ‘Rising Threat of Monkey- pox’ at a webinar series of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), said the man attended the hospital’s special treatment clinic about three weeks ago.

According to him, “the 40-year-old male presented with a painful anal ulcer, also foul smelling discharge from the anus, pustule (pus-filled bumps) rashes on the trunk, monkeypox.” palm and sole of the feet, with an initial history of fever and body pain.

“The man had no history of travel, but he was a man who had sex with a man (MSM) index case. that had at least three partners. On testing, he also had HIV. This case changed the scenario for monkeypox in Nigeria.

“Some weeks back, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in a speech said that all of the cases of monkeypox we have in Nigeria do not have an MSM attachment. However, with this case, it looks like we have not seen the end of monkeypox.”

Dr Fowotade declared that the man’s partners on follow-up by the Oyo State Public Health Department also had similar rashes as the index cases.

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While monkeypox was initially associated with monkeys, rodents and prairie dogs, she stated new animals that now harbour monkeypox include dogs, pigs and ant eaters whether they are sick, dead or alive.

According to her, aside from transmission from human to human when there is close contact with an infected person, the animal-to-human transmission of monkeypox is through the bite or scratch from an infected animal, as well as through activities like cooking meat or hunting animals that are infected.

The virologist stated that the rising threat of monkeypox is linked to mutation of the virus, increased population growth, waning immunity to smallpox and new animal hosts for the virus in

NWAN’s National President, Dr Adekemi Otolorin, Organisation. said health workers are constantly at risk of being infected by monkeypox virus and COVID-19 from a sceptical public who oftentimes are not in compliance with the NCDC or World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recommendations, and as such is a challenge that needs to be addressed.

NWAN’s National President, Dr Adekemi Otolorin said health workers are constantly at risk of being infected by the monkeypox virus and COVID-19 from a sceptical public who oftentimes are not in compliance with the NCDC or World Health

While COVID- 19 remains an epidemic in Nigeria, Chairman, COVID-19 Committee Oyo State, Professor Temitope Alonge said that all Primary healthcare facilities in Oyo state are involved in the drive to ensure everybody in the state takes the COVID-19 vaccine.

He said that since the presentation of monkeypox is ambiguous like coronavirus, stringent criteria for diagnosis must be put in place for monkeypox to protect the health of workers in the hospital and their families.