Monkeypox, a disease endemic to West and Central African countries, can be transmitted through s*xual intercourse, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has warned.

This is as a medical virologist and immunologist noted that the disease is deadlier in patients suffering from other diseases.

Monkeypox, a rare disease that is caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.

The disease has also recently surfaced in some European countries.

Countries such as the United Kingdom, the US, Portugal, Spain, Israel, Lebanon and Canada among others have reported cases.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, 21 confirmed cases have been recorded from nine states and the Federal Capital Territory – Adamawa (5), Lagos (4), Bayelsa (2), Delta (2), Cross River (2), FCT (2), Kano (2), Imo (1), Rivers (1).

According to the agency, there has been no indication of any novel or unusual virus transmission or changes in clinical manifestation among the 21 cases recorded thus far in 2022.

Experts have advised members of the public to follow infection prevention and control techniques that have been shown to reduce the spread of the monkeypox virus.

The World Health Organisation, in a statement it released last week, noted that the outbreak of the Monkeypox disease is being discovered in countries where it is not endemic.

However, an NCDC’s post on its website has noted that s*xual intercourse happens to be a mode of transmission for the virus.

The post read, “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 s*x is one mode of transmission. It is mostly a self-limiting illness that often lasts for two to four weeks.”

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