Community risk perception of Mpox in Osun State, Southwest Nigeria

Background: Mpox, formerly known as Monkeypox, is a viral zoonotic disease that re-emerged in Nigeria in September 2017. Since then, all states around Osun have reported at least one case. However, Osun State reported her first incidence on August 15, 2022. We conducted a community risk assessment in response to the outbreak to assess the risk of disease and determine communication needs. Methods: Data was collected using a standardized interviewer-administered electronic questionnaire adapted from the questionnaire on risk perception of infectious disease outbreaks designed by the Effective Communication in Outbreak Management for Europe (ECOM). The data analysis was done using MS Excel and EpiInfo7. We summarized data using means, standard deviation, proportion, and percentages. Results: 257 participants from Osogbo metropolis took part in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 39.5 ± 12.8 years. Majority (52.9%, 136/257) were male, and 56.0% (144/257) lived in semi-urban areas. Most, 165 (64.2%) of the respondents were married, with about half, 128 (49.8%) having at least tertiary education and 64 (24.9%) working as civil servants in the state. Knowledge of Mpox among respondents was good, 186 (72.4%). The majority of the residents, 187 (72.8.0%), were worried they could contract the disease if they did not take appropriate preventive measures. Hence, 191 (74.3%) were willing to comply with public health advisories. Several respondents, 179 (69.7%) wanted more information on how to prevent and control Mpox, with nearly 198 (80%) preferring information from the State Ministry of Health. Most importantly, 54 (21.3%)respondents claimed Mpox was not a new disease in the area. Conclusion: Knowledge and perception of Mpox were relatively good among survey participants. Nevertheless, locals say the disease has been in the area long before the “index” case was discovered in August 2022. We recommend intensification of surveillance activities in all districts in the State.