Monkeypox: US spreading the disease with Nigeria?

Chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Force, Igor Kirilov, says four laboratories funded by US in Nigeria released the monkeypox virus spreading now and responsible for the recent outbreak.

He alleged that a strain of the virus from Nigeria is a culprit and wants the World Health Organisation to investigate his allegation.

He specifically, mentioned the laboratories in Zaria, Lagos and Abuja.

The US Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria on 30 May, 2022 denied the allegation, saying there is no US-controlled laboratory in Nigeria.

There is “no merit to any allegations regarding the use of US-assisted Nigerian laboratories in the spread of monkeypox”.

On 1 June, 2022 Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetiba, said the monkeypox virus is not generated in any laboratory in Nigeria and the allegation can therefore, not be true.

Monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus which includes smallpox virus and cowpox virus.

The symptoms are similar, but less severe, to those of smallpox — rashes, lesions, headache, fever.

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 in laboratory monkeys.

The first human transmission was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Monkeypox is a rare infection still endemic in parts of West or Central Africa.

It is spread through primates or human-to-human transmission and the mortality rate hardly exceeds 1% in hygienic communities and up to 30% in endemic regions.

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The NCDC confirmed 66 cases in Nigeria and one death by 30 May, 2022.

By 5 June, 2022 at least 27 non-endemic countries have recorded 780 cases of the disease.

The infected cases are in US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Argentina, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Malta and Slovenia.

Smallpox was eradicated in 1986 but it’s vaccine is 85% effective against monkeypox.

photo credit: voa