The Cross River Government has confirmed a case of Mpox in the Okoshe community of Obudu Local Government Area. The confirmation comes after initial denials by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk.
Dr. Ayuk announced that the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja confirmed the presence of Mpox in a female patient from Okoshe village. The patient’s sample, initially suspected to be either Mpox or chickenpox, was tested and returned positive for Mpox on August 24.
To prevent a possible outbreak, the state government is taking immediate action. Measures include the activation of the Mpox Emergency Operation Center, with Dr. Ekpo Ekpo appointed as Incident Manager. The Obudu Local Government Area response team has been directed to collaborate with the state health team for containment efforts.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recently reported 40 confirmed cases of Mpox out of 830 suspected cases. The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, confirmed that the disease has been detected in multiple states, including Cross River, Bayelsa, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, and Ebonyi. Additionally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is aiding Nigeria with vaccine doses from the United States.
The NCDC has established an Emergency Operations Centre and an Incident Management System, with various states, including Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu, on high alert. The National Mpox Technical Working Group (TWG) is coordinating the response to this public health emergency.