Two monkeypox cases discovered in UK from patients travelling from Nigeria

The Nigerian government says it is cooperating with authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) to investigate outbreak of monkeypox, after two cases were discovered in the UK from patients with recent travel history from Nigeria.

In a statement on Wednesday by its Chief Executive Officer, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said it is working with the UK’s public health agency; Public Health England (PHE), and other partners in Nigeria in the investigation.

PHE reported that two people were diagnosed with monkeypox in Britain in apparently unrelated cases.



According to the report published on its website, PHE said both patients are believed to have contracted the disease in Nigeria before travelling to England, and were diagnosed days apart.

The first patients who is said to be a Nigerian national was diagnosed with the disease in Cornwall last week while the second case was first presented at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Both patients are however said to be receiving appropriate care at Royal Infectious University, an expert respiratory infectious disease centre.

The deputy director of the National Infection Service at PHE, Nick Phin, said “We know that in September 2017 Nigeria experienced a large sustained outbreak of monkeypox and since then sporadic cases have continued to be reported.