BREAKING: Cross River Confirms First Mpox Case, Launches Immediate Response

Cross River state in Nigeria has confirmed its first case of monkeypox (Mpox) in the Okoshe community, located in the Obudu local government area.

The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk, who revealed that the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja had verified the case.

Dr. Ayuk detailed the timeline of events leading to the confirmation. "On Monday, 19th August, we were notified of a presumptive diagnosis for Mpox or Chickenpox by the State Epidemiologist of Ebonyi. A sample was then sent to the national reference lab and the result returned on Saturday, 24th August, positive for Mpox and negative for Chickenpox," he explained. The patient, a female from Okoshe village, had sought medical care at the Federal Medical Centre in Abakaliki, Ebonyi.

In response to this confirmed case, the state government has activated the Mpox Emergency Operation Center, with Dr. Ekpo Ekpo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, appointed as the Incident Manager. Immediate mitigation measures have been put into place, including contact tracing, quarantine of symptomatic contacts at General Hospital Sankwala – Obanliku, and sample collection from symptomatic individuals.

Dr. Ayuk emphasized the state's proactive stance, stating, "We are responding actively to mitigate any outbreak in Obudu." He also mentioned that long-term measures are being planned to prevent the spread of the disease.

These include monthly financial support for surveillance teams, establishment of isolation wards in all government hospitals and health promotion initiatives focusing on personal hygiene.

The state government is also prioritizing awareness campaigns. "Sensitization on preventive measures and awareness will be conducted at churches, schools, and communities," Dr. Ayuk added.