The Akwa Ibom State Government has issued a warning to residents to remain cautious as the state records five confirmed cases of Mpox.
Providing an update on Friday, the government revealed that the cases have been reported across several local government areas. A total of 30 samples were collected for diagnosis, with the first four confirmed cases involving three males and one female, aged 2, 4, 12, and 41.
Samuel Etuk, the state’s Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer, confirmed the rise in cases, stating that the number has now increased to five. He made this known during a Media Review Meeting organized by Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N) in collaboration with the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (STBLCP) in Uyo.
“We have recorded another positive Mpox case, bringing the total to five confirmed cases in the state,” Etuk said, adding that contact tracing has been conducted, and the affected individuals are in isolation.
Etuk explained that 10 community informants have been assigned to each of the state’s 368 political wards. These informants report to health facility focal points, who forward information to local disease surveillance officers for onward reporting to the Ministry of Health.
He urged residents to remain vigilant, noting that Mpox can spread from animals to humans through zoonotic transmission, as well as from person to person via contact with bodily fluids, skin lesions, or respiratory secretions.
The incubation period for Mpox is typically 5 to 21 days, with symptoms including headache, swollen lymph nodes, fever, back and muscle pain, fatigue, and rashes that start on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, such as the palms and soles.
Preventive measures include avoiding contact with infected animals or persons, practicing frequent hand-washing, thoroughly cooking meat before consumption, and wearing protective clothing when handling sick animals.
Etuk advised the public to report suspected cases to the nearest health facility or contact the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). He also recalled that on August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a global public health emergency of international concern in Africa.