Only 7% of the current confirmed cases have been linked to human to human transmission.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed the first monkeypox fatality since the outbreak of the disease weeks ago, with 61 cases confirmed across 14 states in the country.
According to a situation report released by the agency on Wednesday, December 20, 2017, the deceased had a background immune-compromised condition.
Despite the casualty, the agency reported that there has been a decline in the number of new suspected cases reported over the last five weeks.
This resulted in the decision to deactivate the monkeypox Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) this week, with response to the disease now expected to be coordinated by "a technical working group" comprising of all existing response partners.
The report read, "To enhance data management and real-time mapping of cases and contacts, the Surveillance and Outbreak Response Management System, SORMAS, app was deployed on November 4, 2017 to the outbreak.
"However, the monkeypox EOC has been deactivated this week and the response will henceforth be coordinated by a technical working group comprising of all existing response partners."
The report further revealed that since the outbreak in September, a total of 172 cases (suspected, confirmed and probable) have been recorded from 22 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Five additional cases and two probable cases have been recorded since the last update, bringing the total confirmed cases to 61 in 14 states.
The NCDC's report also added that only 7% of the current confirmed cases have been linked to human to human transmission, with no known evidence yet of epidemiological linkages across states.
The agency's research also revealed that men were more infected by the disease as the male to female ratio for confirmed cases is 3:1 and the most affected age group is 21 to 40 years.
Monkeypox outbreak
Monkeypox is a viral illness caused by a group of viruses that include chicken pox and small pox, with symptoms like severe headache, fever, back pains among others.
The most worrisome symptom is the presence of rashes, bigger than those caused by chicken pox, usually spreading across the whole body of an infected person.
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Since the virus first broke out in Bayelsa State on September 22, 2017, it has spread to many other states across the country.