Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease that appears in west and central Africa. It is infrequent and can be fatal. Monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus that is comparable to the Variola virus (the causative agent of smallpox) and Vaccinia virus (the live virus component of orthopoxvirus vaccines) and may be transmitted to people [1]. The monkeypox infection causes a similar disease to smallpox. Smallpox immunization with vaccinia virus (another orthopoxvirus) has been 85% protective against monkeypox in the past. Following the elimination of smallpox in 1980, regular vaccination against smallpox was no longer recommended, and no orthopoxvirus vaccination program has been implemented in over four decades [2]. Interestingly, six cases of travelers from Nigeria to non-African countries were discovered between September 2018 and June 2021; two of the cases resulted in additional infections [1].

Before the 2017 Nigeria outbreak, most monkeypox cases were in rural woodland areas of Africa; currently, patients have been identified in urban areas, suggesting additional risk factors [3,4]. The West African clade, which is unique to West Africa, and the Congo Basin clade, which is found in central Africa, are two separate clades of monkeypox virus that circulate throughout Africa [3]. Cases in Nigeria have been markedly dissimilar while being proved to be caused by the West African clade. The West African Clade is believed to cause milder infections, fewer deaths, and limited human-to-human transmission. Some cases in Nigeria have been severe, even deadly, especially among HIV-positive people [4].