This handout picture depicts the dorsal surfaces of a monkeypox case in a patient who was displaying the appearance of the characteristic rash during its recuperative stage. Photo: AFP
 

The United States has no connection with the recent outbreak of monkeypox in Nigeria, the American embassy in the country has said.

It explained that the U.S. government has continued to support Nigerian health authorities with technical assistance and funding to tackle disease outbreaks such as COIVD-19 and monkeypox, among others.

An Information Specialist at the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General, Temitayo Famutimi, said this in a statement on Monday.

The statement was issued in reaction to claims that the U.S. government was using some laboratories under its control to spread monkeypox disease in Nigeria.

According to the embassy, the sponsors of such claims have also called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to investigate these laboratories.

Rather than engage in the spread of diseases, it stressed that the U.S. government has been helpful to the Nigerian health sector in the areas of capacity building, as well as provision of equipment, commodities/consumables, and funding to critical public health programme, hospitals, and laboratories.

Nigeria recently recorded its first death from monkeypox disease since the beginning of the year 2022.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which confirmed the death, added that 21 cases were reported from nine states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the last five months.

These include Adamawa – five, Lagos – four, Bayelsa – two, Delta – two, Cross River – two, FCT – two, Kano – two, Imo – one, and Rivers – one.