Mpox and Chickenpox Coinfection: Case Series From Southern Nigeria.

This article focuses on the clinicoepidemiologic characteristics of mpox (monkeypox) and chickenpox (varicella-zoster virus, VZV) coinfection in Nigeria from January 2022 to March 2023. Among 56 laboratory-confirmed mpox cases, 28.6% had concurrent chickenpox confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), with coinfected patients experiencing significantly more complications such as muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, and sepsis compared to those with mpox alone. The study highlights that mpox and chickenpox cocirculate in Nigeria, where neither vaccine is routinely available, underscoring the need for enhanced surveillance and accelerated access to both mpox and chickenpox vaccines in Africa. The findings also emphasize challenges in clinical diagnosis due to overlapping symptoms and the higher risk of severe outcomes in coinfected individuals, particularly among immunocompromised patients.