Serosurvey of Monkeypox Virus Antibodies in Health Workers and Communities in Delta State

Monkeypox virus (MPXV), reclassified as Mpox, has expanded beyond its traditional West and Central African endemic zones, with Delta State in South South Nigeria reporting clusters of human Mpox cases. Healthcare workers managing suspected cases and communities in forest-fringe areas represent two distinct high-exposure populations requiring seroepidemiological characterisation. This study determines anti-MPXV antibody seroprevalence in healthcare workers and forest-adjacent community residents in Delta State. A cross-sectional serosurvey will recruit 200 healthcare workers from three hospitals with confirmed prior Mpox case exposure and 400 community residents from three peri-forested communities in Ethiope, Ukwuani, and Sapele local government areas. Serum samples will be tested for anti-orthopoxvirus IgG using a vaccinia virus-based ELISA, with specificity for MPXV confirmed by MPXV-specific neutralisation assay for seropositive samples. Vaccination history (smallpox vaccination prior to 1980) will be recorded and analysed as a determinant of seropositivity. Recent Mpox research from Nigeria identified healthcare worker seroprevalence of 2 to 5 percent at facilities without formal PPE protocols, and community-level seropositivity up to 10 percent in high-exposure areas. Findings will characterise Mpox exposure in two priority populations in Delta State, informing targeted immunisation and occupational protection strategies under the NCDC's National Mpox Emergency Response Plan. Keywords: Monkeypox virus, seroprevalence, healthcare workers, Delta State, orthopoxvirus