Monkeypox in Nigeria

Warning - Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel
Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions
Watch - Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions

Key Points

Map of Nigeria showing monkeypox outbreak in Nigeria
Map: Areas of Nigeria with reported cases of monkeypox  (see larger map)
  • In 2021, cases of monkeypox have been reported in Nigeria in the following states: Delta, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Ogun.
  • Recent cases of monkeypox have been reported among US travelers returning from Lagos and Ibadan, Nigeria.
  • Travelers to Nigeria should avoid contact with sick people, animals such as rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, chimpanzees), products that come from wild animals (including wild game), and contaminated materials (such as clothing or bedding) used by sick people or animals.
  • Seek medical care immediately if you develop fever, chills, new swollen lymph nodes, and/or new skin rash, and avoid contact with others. If possible, call ahead before going to a healthcare facility.
  • Delay travel by public transportation until you have been cleared by a healthcare provider or public heath officials.
What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with monkeypox virus. Monkeypox occurs throughout Central and West Africa, often near tropical rain forests.

People become infected with the monkeypox virus through contact with the bodily fluids of infected animals or humans (alive or dead), including respiratory droplets, or through contact with materials contaminated with the virus.

Symptoms include fever (≥100.4°F), headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash. Patients are usually ill for 2–4 weeks. Monkeypox is fatal in as many as 1 to 10% of people who become infected. Prior vaccination against smallpox may provide protection against monkeypox.

Traveler Information

Clinician Information

Page last reviewed: November 30, 2021
Content source: National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ)