Two new cases of Mpox confirmed in Cross River

The Cross River Epidemiologist, Inyang Ekpenyong, has confirmed two new cases of Mpox in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area.

She made the confirmation in a statement in Calabar on Saturday.

It would be recalled that the state had earlier reported a case in Okoshe, Obudu Local Government Area, which was confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja.

Mrs Ekpenyong said a case management team had been informed that the two cases should be urgently evacuated to an isolation centre.

She added that “the state/LGA Rapid Response Team (RRT) have commenced contact tracing, listing and monitoring.

“We also use this opportunity to appeal for financial resources to urgently carry out the needed response activities.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 67 cases of Mpox in the country as of 11 September.

According to the disease centre, the cases were confirmed out of 1,031 suspected cases reported across 23 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

The NCDC Director General, Jide Idris, who disclosed this at a media briefing, said both Akwa Ibom and Enugu states were leading in the Mpox chart with eight cases each while Bayelsa recorded six cases. Cross River has five cases while Benue, Plateau and Delta reported four cases each.

Other states, according to Mr Idris, are Imo, Lagos and the FCT, with three cases each, while Rivers, Abia, Osun, Anambra, and Ogun reported two cases each.

About Mpox

Mpox is a rare and infectious disease that can spread from animals to humans and between people. It’s commonly found in certain parts of Africa, particularly in the tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa.

The disease can also spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person or by touching contaminated things.

Symptoms of Mpox include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, swollen lymph nodes, and a unique rash that typically starts on the face and spreads to other areas. The rash can also appear on the hands, feet, and genital areas, making it possible to spread the disease through sexual contact.

(NAN)