Ondo State has confirmed 12 cases of mpox (monkeypox) in eight Local Government Areas, according to the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (OSPHDA). The affected LGAs include Akoko South-West, Akoko North-West, Akoko North-East, Owo, Akure South, Akure North, Ondo East, and Odigbo.
Dr. Victor Adefesoye, Director of Disease Control at OSPHDA, disclosed this information at a stakeholders' meeting in Akure on August 11, 2025. He emphasized the disease’s contagious nature, urging the need for vaccination to contain its spread. The vaccination campaign, which is safe and targets individuals aged 18 and above, is scheduled to run from August 11 to August 21, 2025. It will prioritize confirmed cases, their close contacts, and healthcare workers handling them.
Symptoms of mpox include body sores, rash, fever, headache, and body weakness. The vaccine involves two doses given at different intervals and is expected to minimize the disease's burden and effects.
OSPHDA officials highlighted the importance of encouraging vaccination uptake amid some expected hesitancy. They also called for improved personal and environmental hygiene practices among residents to support a healthy society.
This update comes as part of broader surveillance and containment efforts in Nigeria, where mpox cases have been rising across multiple states in 2025.
